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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the delegation of death certification to attending |
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physicians in certain counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Section 11a to read as follows: |
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Sec. 11a. CERTIFICATION OF DEATH BY ATTENDING PHYSICIAN. |
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If after conducting an inquest, a medical examiner in a county with |
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a population of more than one million determines that a person's |
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death is due to natural causes, the medical examiner may delegate, |
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with the consent of the physician, the authority to complete the |
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medical certification for the person's death and to sign the death |
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certificate to: |
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(1) the person's attending physician at the time of the |
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person's death; or |
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(2) another attending physician who treated the person |
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during the 12 months preceding the person's death. |
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SECTION 2. Section 193.005(e), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(e) A person conducting an inquest required by Chapter 49, |
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Code of Criminal Procedure, or an attending physician to whom a |
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medical examiner has delegated certification authority as provided |
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by Section 11a, Article 49.25, Code of Criminal Procedure, shall: |
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(1) complete the medical certification not later than |
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the fifth day after the date [five days after receiving] the death |
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or fetal death certificate is received; and |
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(2) state on the medical certification the disease |
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that caused the death or, if the death was from external causes, the |
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means of death and whether the death was probably accidental, |
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suicidal, or homicidal, and any other information required by the |
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state registrar to properly classify the death. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |