S*1023(Rat #0345, Act #0272 of 2002)  General Bill, By Bauer, Giese, Mescher, 
Ravenel, Hayes, Ryberg, O'Dell, Gregory, Grooms, Kuhn, Martin and Branton

Similar(H 4713)
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 17-5-560, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE CERTIFICATION OF THE CAUSE OF DEATH ON A DEATH CERTIFICATE BY
 A CORONER, DEPUTY CORONER, MEDICAL EXAMINER, OR DEPUTY MEDICAL EXAMINER, SO AS
 TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES, AND TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS FOR THE TERMS "SIGN",
 "SIGNED", AND "SIGNATURE"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 44-63-40, RELATING TO THE
 APPOINTMENT OF AND DUTIES OF COUNTY REGISTRARS, DEPUTY REGISTRARS, AND
 SUBREGISTRARS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT REPORTS OF BIRTH, DEATH, AND FETAL DEATH
 MUST BE TRANSMITTED TO THE STATE REGISTRAR AT INTERVALS PRESCRIBED BY THE
 STATE REGISTRAR AND NO LONGER TO THE COUNTY REGISTRAR.-amended title

   02/14/02  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-4
   02/14/02  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-4
   04/24/02  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary SJ-14
   04/25/02  Senate Amended SJ-28
   04/25/02  Senate Read second time SJ-28
   04/30/02  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-19
   05/01/02  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-5
   05/01/02  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-5
   05/09/02  House  Recalled from Committee on Judiciary HJ-34
   05/15/02  House  Read second time HJ-78
   05/16/02  House  Read third time and enrolled HJ-21
   05/22/02         Ratified R 345
   05/28/02         Signed By Governor
   06/13/02         Effective date 5/28/2002
   06/13/02         Copies available
   06/17/02         Act No. 272

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 17-5-560, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE CERTIFICATION OF THE CAUSE OF DEATH ON A DEATH CERTIFICATE BY A CORONER, DEPUTY CORONER, MEDICAL EXAMINER, OR DEPUTY MEDICAL EXAMINER, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES, AND TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS FOR THE TERMS "SIGN", "SIGNED", AND "SIGNATURE"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 44-63-40, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF AND DUTIES OF COUNTY REGISTRARS, DEPUTY REGISTRARS, AND SUBREGISTRARS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT REPORTS OF BIRTH, DEATH, AND FETAL DEATH MUST BE TRANSMITTED TO THE STATE REGISTRAR AT INTERVALS PRESCRIBED BY THE STATE REGISTRAR AND NO LONGER TO THE COUNTY REGISTRAR.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Certification of the cause of death

SECTION 1. Section 17-5-560 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 73 of 2001, is amended to read:

"Section 17-5-560. (A) The coroner, deputy coroner, medical examiner, or deputy medical examiner must, in any case investigated, complete and sign the medical certification portion of the death certificate within twenty-four hours after being notified of the death.

(B) The coroner or medical examiner must, at the time of releasing a body to a funeral director or person acting as a funeral director, or as soon as practical after releasing the body, execute and sign the medical certification of the cause of death on the prescribed form.

(C) In any case where autopsy is scheduled and the coroner or medical examiner wishes to await its gross findings to confirm a tentative clinical finding, the coroner or medical examiner must give the funeral director notice as to when he expects to have the medical data necessary for the certification of cause of death. If the certificate cannot be signed within the prescribed time set forth, the coroner or medical examiner must indicate that the cause of death is pending and sign the certification accordingly. Immediately after the medical data necessary for determining the cause of death has been made known, the coroner or medical examiner must, over his signature, forward the cause of death to the registrar and notify the funeral director involved that this action has been taken.

(D) As used in this section, the terms 'sign', 'signed', or 'signature' mean a written signature or an electronic signature authorized in the Electronic Commerce Act, Chapter 5, Title 26."

The State Registrar

SECTION 2. Section 44-63-40 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 44-63-40. The State Registrar must appoint the chief administrative officer of each county health department as the county registrar. All persons in the county required by law to file reports of birth, death, and fetal death must transmit these reports to the State Registrar at intervals prescribed by the State Registrar. The county registrar may appoint a deputy registrar who is vested with the right to carry on the duties of the office. The county registrar and deputy registrar must carry out the duties formerly carried out by local registrars without additional compensation. The county registrar must appoint a subregistrar for each hospital, nursing home, and other institution as required within the county whose duty it is to issue Burial-Removal-Transit Permits for deaths occurring at the hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions. The county registrar must require the coroner of the county to issue Burial-Removal-Transit Permits for deaths occurring outside hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 22nd day of May, 2002.

Approved the 28th day of May, 2002.