Act No. 79

Public Acts of 2013

Approved by the Governor

June 27, 2013

Filed with the Secretary of State

June 27, 2013

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 26, 2013

STATE OF MICHIGAN

97TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2013

Introduced by Rep. Kurtz

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4330

AN ACT to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled “An act to protect and promote the public health; to codify, revise, consolidate, classify, and add to the laws relating to public health; to provide for the prevention and control of diseases and disabilities; to provide for the classification, administration, regulation, financing, and maintenance of personal, environmental, and other health services and activities; to create or continue, and prescribe the powers and duties of, departments, boards, commissions, councils, committees, task forces, and other agencies; to prescribe the powers and duties of governmental entities and officials; to regulate occupations, facilities, and agencies affecting the public health; to regulate health maintenance organizations and certain third party administrators and insurers; to provide for the imposition of a regulatory fee; to provide for the levy of taxes against certain health facilities or agencies; to promote the efficient and economical delivery of health care services, to provide for the appropriate utilization of health care facilities and services, and to provide for the closure of hospitals or consolidation of hospitals or services; to provide for the collection and use of data and information; to provide for the transfer of property; to provide certain immunity from liability; to regulate and prohibit the sale and offering for sale of drug paraphernalia under certain circumstances; to provide for the implementation of federal law; to provide for penalties and remedies; to provide for sanctions for violations of this act and local ordinances; to provide for an appropriation and supplements; to repeal certain acts and parts of acts; to repeal certain parts of this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on specific dates,” by amending section 2843 (MCL 333.2843), as amended by 2002 PA 691.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 2843. (1) A funeral director who first assumes custody of a dead body, either personally or through his or her authorized agent, shall report the death. For purposes of this subsection, “dead body” includes, but is not limited to, the body of an infant who survived an attempted abortion as described in the born alive infant protection act and who later died. The funeral director or the authorized agent shall obtain the necessary personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified individual or source available and shall obtain medical certification as follows:

(a) If the death occurred outside an institution, the medical certification portion of the death record shall be completed and certified not later than 48 hours after death by the attending physician; or in the absence of the attending physician, by a physician acting as the attending physician’s authorized representative; or in the absence of an authorized representative, by the county medical examiner; or in the absence of the county medical examiner, by the county health officer or the deputy county medical examiner. If the death occurred in an institution, the medical certification shall be completed and signed not later than 48 hours after death by the attending physician; or in the absence of the attending physician, by a physician acting as the attending physician’s authorized representative; or in the absence of an authorized representative, by the chief medical officer of the institution in which death occurred, after reviewing pertinent records and making other investigation as considered necessary, or by a pathologist.

(b) A physician described in subdivision (a), who for himself or herself or as an agent or employee of another individual neglects or refuses to certify a death record properly presented to him or her for certification by a funeral director or who refuses or neglects to furnish information in his or her possession, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 60 days, or a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00, or both.

(2) A physician described in subsection (1)(a) shall provide the medical certification described in subsection (1)(a) within 48 hours after the death.

(3) A death record shall be certified by a funeral director who is licensed under article 18 of the occupational code, 1980 PA 299, MCL 339.1801 to 339.1812, or by an individual who holds a courtesy license under section 1806a of that act, MCL 339.1806a, and shall be filed with the local registrar of the district where the death occurred within 72 hours after the death.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the death of an infant who was born alive following an attempted abortion and was surrendered to an emergency service provider under the safe delivery of newborns law, sections 1 to 20 of chapter XII of the probate code of 1939, 1939 PA 288, MCL 712.1 to 712.20, and then died shall be reported in the same manner as for any death. However, the deceased infant shall be listed as “Baby Doe” and no information that would directly identify the deceased infant or the deceased infant’s parents shall be reported, including, but not limited to, the following information:

(a) The name of the mother or father.

(b) The address of the mother or father.

(d) The address of the informant.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect upon the expiration of 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.

Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect unless Senate Bill No. 231 or House Bill No. 4303 of the 97th Legislature is enacted into law.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor