HB 1851 — An Act amending the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), known as the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, in general provisions, further providing for definitions; and, in death and fetal death registration, further providing for information for certificates and for coroner referrals.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

2297 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

18512716 2025THE INTRODUCEDGENERAL BYASSEMBLY CURRY,OF HILL-EVANS,PENNSYLVANIA WAXMAN,HOUSE GUZMAN,BILL PIELLI,Session OTTEN,of CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CERRATO, PROBST, BOROWSKI, RIVERA, MAYES, HOHENSTEIN, SHUSTERMAN AND SANCHEZ, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025 REFERREDNo. TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), entitled "An act providing for the administration of a statewide system of vital statistics;

prescribingINTRODUCED BY CURRY, HILL-EVANS, WAXMAN, GUZMAN, PIELLI, OTTEN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CERRATO, PROBST, BOROWSKI, RIVERA, MAYES, HOHENSTEIN, SHUSTERMAN, SANCHEZ AND GREEN, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, DECEMBER 17, 2025 AN ACT Amending the functionsact of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), entitled "An act providing for the Stateadministration localof registrars;a statewide system of vital statistics;

imposingprescribing dutiesthe uponfunctions coroners,Boardof andthe prothonotaries,State clerksDepartment of orphans'Health, court,the physicians,State midwivesAdvisory Health Board and otherlocal persons;registrars;

imposing duties upon coroners, prothonotaries, clerks of orphans' court, physicians, midwives and other persons;

limiting the disclosurestatistics ofrecords records;as evidence;

prescribing thefees sufficiencyandf of vital statisticspenalties; records as evidence;

prescribingand feesrevising and penalties;consolidating the laws relating thereto," IN GENERAL PROVISIONS, FURTHER PROVIDING FOR <-- DEFINITIONS;

andAND, revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto," in death and fetal death registration, further providing for information for certificates.certificates AND FOR <-- CORONER REFERRALS.

Section 502(2) and (3) of the act of June 29, <-- 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), known as the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, are amended to read:

SECTION 1.

SECTION 105 OF THE ACT OF JUNE 29, 1953 (P.L.304, <-- NO.66), KNOWN AS THE VITAL STATISTICS LAW OF 1953, IS AMENDED BY ADDING A PARAGRAPH TO READ:

SECTION 105.

GENERAL PROVISIONS:

DEFINITIONS.--AS USED IN THIS ACT, THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SECTION UNLESS THE CONTEXT CLEARLY INDICATES OTHERWISE-- * * * (13) "MIDWIFE" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL LICENSED UNDER THE ACT OF DECEMBER 20, 1985 (P.L.457, NO.112), KNOWN AS THE "MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT OF 1985." SECTION 2.

SECTIONS 502(2) AND (3) AND 503 OF THE ACT ARE AMENDED TO READ:

* * * (2) Subject to the limitation contained in clause (3), the medical certification, except in the event of a referral to the coroner pursuant to section five hundred three of this act, shall be supplied (i) in the case of a death, by the physician, certified registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant or (ii) dentist who is a staff member of an approved hospital who attended the deceased during the last illness, provided the death occurs in the hospital and the deceased had been admitted on the dental service, and (iii) in the case of a fetal death, by the attending physician, certified registered nurse practitioner [or], physician assistant or certified nurse <-- midwife.

(3) In all cases where the physician, certified registered 20250HB1851PN2716 - 2 - nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife <-- or dentist who would otherwise supply the medical certification is a member of the immediate family of the deceased, the case shall be referred to another physician, certified registered nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife <-- or dentist who qualifies under clause (2) for a medical certification.

In the event a qualified alternate physician, certified registered nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife or dentist is unavailable or unwilling <-- to provide the medical certification required by law, the case shall be referred to the coroner of the county wherein the death occurred or to a coroner of an adjacent county.

20250HB1851PN2297SECTION -503. 2 - Section 2.

DEATH AND FETAL DEATH REGISTRATION:

CORONER <-- REFERRALS.--THE LOCAL REGISTRAR OR PERSON IN CHARGE OF INTERMENT OR OTHER PERSON HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEATH OR FETAL DEATH SHALL REFER TO THE CORONER THE FOLLOWING CASES:

(1) WHERE NO PHYSICIAN, CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONER, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OR DENTIST WHO IS A STAFF MEMBER OF AN APPROVED HOSPITAL WAS IN ATTENDANCE DURING THE LAST ILLNESS OF THE DECEASED OR IN THE CASE OF A FETAL DEATH WHERE THERE WAS NO ATTENDING PHYSICIAN, CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONER [OR], PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OR MIDWIFE OR (2) WHERE THE PHYSICIAN, CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONER, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OR DENTIST WHO IS A STAFF MEMBER OF AN APPROVED HOSPITAL IN ATTENDANCE DURING THE LAST ILLNESS OF THE DECEASED OR THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN, CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONER [OR], PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OR MIDWIFE IN THE CASE OF A FETAL DEATH IS PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO SUPPLY THE NECESSARY DATA, OR (3) 20250HB1851PN2716 - 3 - WHERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SUGGEST THAT THE DEATH WAS SUDDEN OR VIOLENT OR SUSPICIOUS IN NATURE OR WAS THE RESULT OF OTHER THAN NATURAL CAUSES, OR (4) WHERE THE PHYSICIAN, CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONER, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, MIDWIFE, DENTIST OR CORONER WHO PROVIDED OR WOULD PROVIDE THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION IS A MEMBER OF THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY OF THE DECEASED.

IN EVERY INSTANCE OF A REFERRAL UNDER THIS SECTION, THE CORONER SHALL MAKE AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AND SHALL SUPPLY THE NECESSARY DATA, INCLUDING THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION OF THE DEATH OR FETAL DEATH.

IN NO EVENT SHALL A CORONER SIGN A CERTIFICATE OF DEATH OR FETAL DEATH FOR A DECEASED WHO WAS A MEMBER OF HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY.

Section 2 3.

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