TITLE 39

HEALTH AND SAFETY

CHAPTER 2

VITAL STATISTICS

39-260.  Registration of deaths and stillbirths. (1) A certificate of each death which occurs in this state shall be filed with the local registrar of the district in which the death occurs, or as otherwise directed by the state registrar, within five (5) days after the occurrence. However, the board shall, by rule and upon such conditions as it may prescribe to assure compliance with the purposes of the vital statistics act, provide for the filing of death certificates without medical certifications of cause of death in cases in which compliance with the applicable prescribed period would result in undue hardship; but provided, however, that medical certifications of cause of death shall be provided by the certifying physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or coroner to the vital statistics unit within fifteen (15) days from the filing of the death certificate. No certificate shall be deemed complete until every item of information required shall have been provided or its omission satisfactorily accounted for. When death occurs in a moving conveyance in the United States and the body is first removed from the conveyance in this state, the death shall be registered in this state and the place where the body is first removed shall be considered the place of death. When a death occurs on a moving conveyance while in international airspace or in a foreign country or its airspace and the body is first removed from the conveyance in this state, the death shall be registered in this state but the certificate shall show the actual place of death insofar as can be determined. If the place of death is unknown but the dead body is found in this state, the certificate of death shall be completed and filed in accordance with this section. The place where the body is found shall be shown as the place of death. If the date of death is unknown, it shall be determined by approximation.

The person in charge of interment or of removal of the body from the district shall be responsible for obtaining and filing the certificate. Said person shall obtain the required information from the following persons, over their respective signatures:

(a)  Personal data shall be supplied by the person best qualified to supply them; and

(b)  Except as otherwise provided, medical data shall be supplied by the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse who attended the deceased during the last illness, who shall certify to the cause of death according to his best knowledge, information and belief within seventy-two (72) hours from time of death. In the absence of the attending physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse or with said person’s approval the certificate may be completed and signed by said person’s associate, who must be a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, the chief medical officer of the institution in which death occurred, or the physician who performed an autopsy upon the decedent, provided such individual has access to the medical history of the case, views the deceased at or after death, and death is due to natural causes.

(2)  The person in charge of interment or of removal of the body from the district shall refer the following cases to the coroner who shall make an immediate investigation, supply the necessary medical data, and certify to the cause of death:

(a)  When no physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse was in attendance during the last illness of the deceased;

(b)  When the circumstances suggest that the death occurred as a result of other than natural causes; or

(c)  When death is due to natural causes and the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse who attended the deceased during the last illness or said person’s designated associate who must be a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, is not available or is physically incapable of signing.

(3)  When a death is presumed to have occurred within this state but the body cannot be located, a death certificate may be prepared by the state registrar upon receipt of an order of a court of record of this state, which shall include the finding of facts required to complete the death certificate. Such a death certificate shall be marked "presumptive" and shall show on its face the date of registration and shall identify the court and the date of decree.

(4)  Each stillbirth, defined as a spontaneous fetal death of twenty (20) completed weeks gestation or more, based on a clinical estimate of gestation, or a weight of three hundred fifty (350) grams (twelve and thirty-five hundredths (12.35) ounces) or more, which occurs in this state shall be registered on a certificate of stillbirth within five (5) days after delivery with the local registrar of the district in which the stillbirth occurred. All induced terminations of pregnancy shall be reported in the manner prescribed in section 39-261, Idaho Code, and shall not be reported as stillbirths. No certificate shall be deemed complete until every item of information required shall have been provided or its omission satisfactorily accounted for.

(a)  When a stillbirth occurs in an institution, the person in charge of the institution or a designated representative shall prepare the certificate, obtain the signature of the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse in attendance, except as otherwise provided in subsection (5) of this section, who shall provide the medical data, and forward the certificate to the mortician or person acting as such. In the absence of the attending physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse or with said person’s approval the certificate may be completed and signed by said person’s associate, who must be a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, the chief medical officer of the institution in which the stillbirth occurred, or the physician who performed an autopsy on the stillborn fetus, provided such individual has access to the medical history of the case and views the fetus at or after stillbirth. The mortician or person acting as such shall provide the disposition information and file the certificate with the local registrar.

(b)  When a stillbirth occurs outside an institution, the mortician or person acting as such shall complete the certificate, obtain the medical data from and signature of the attendant at the stillbirth, except as otherwise provided in subsection (5) of this section, and file the certificate. If the attendant at or immediately after the stillbirth is not a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, the coroner shall investigate and sign the certificate of stillbirth.

(c)  When a stillbirth occurs in a moving conveyance in the United States and the stillborn fetus is first removed from the conveyance in this state, the stillbirth shall be registered in this state and the place where the stillborn fetus is first removed shall be considered the place of stillbirth. When a stillbirth occurs in a moving conveyance while in international airspace or in a foreign country or its airspace and the stillborn fetus is first removed from the conveyance in this state, the stillbirth shall be registered in this state but the certificate shall show the actual place of stillbirth insofar as can be determined.

(d)  When a stillborn fetus is found in this state and the place of stillbirth is unknown, it shall be reported in this state. The place where the stillborn fetus was found shall be considered the place of stillbirth.

(e)  The name of the father shall be entered on the certificate of stillbirth as provided by section 39-255, Idaho Code.

(5)  The person responsible for the preparation or completion of the stillbirth certificate as stated in subsection (4)(a) and (b) of this section shall refer the following cases to the coroner who shall make an immediate investigation, supply the necessary medical data and certify to the cause of stillbirth:

(a)  When the circumstances suggest that the stillbirth occurred as a result of other than natural causes, excepting legally induced abortions, as defined by section 39-241, Idaho Code; or

(b)  When death is due to natural causes and the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse in attendance at or immediately after the stillbirth or said person’s designated associate is not available or is physically incapable of signing.

History:

[(39-260) 1949, ch. 72, sec. 18, p. 117; am. 1972, ch. 111, sec. 1, p. 226; am. and redesignated 1983, ch. 7, sec. 20, p. 34; am. 1995, ch. 28, sec. 2, p. 44; am. 2002, ch. 277, sec. 2, p. 811; am. 2007, ch. 244, sec. 1, p. 719; am. 2014, ch. 45, sec. 2, p. 119.]