Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1903 By: Jett
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to vital records; amending 63 O.S.
7 2021, Section 1-317, as last amended by Section 1,
8 Chapter 251, O.S.L. 2024 (63 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
8 1-317), which relates to death certificates; imposing
9 certain duty on hospitals; and providing an effective
9 date.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 1-317, as
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14 last amended by Section 1, Chapter 251, O.S.L. 2024 (63 O.S. Supp.
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15 2025, Section 1-317), is amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 1-317. A. A death certificate for each death which
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17 occurs in this state shall be filed with the State Department of
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18 Health within ten (10) calendar days after such death.
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19 B. It shall be the duty of the funeral director to file the
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20 death certificate. If the funeral director is not available, the
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21 person acting as such who first assumes custody of a dead body in
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22 accordance with Section 1158 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes
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23 shall personally sign and file the death certificate. The funeral
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24 director shall obtain the personal data from the next of kin or the
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1 best qualified person or source available, enter the personal data
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2 into the electronic system prescribed by the State Registrar of
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3 Vital Statistics, and electronically transmit the partial
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4 certificate produced by the electronic system to the physician,
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5 physician assistant, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, or medical
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6 examiner responsible for completing the medical certification
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7 portion of the certificate of death within twenty-four (24) hours
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8 after the death.
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9 C. 1. The medical certification shall be completed and
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10 certified within five (5) calendar days after receipt of the partial
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11 certificate by the physician, physician assistant, or Advanced
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12 Practice Registered Nurse in charge of the patient's care for the
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13 illness or condition which resulted in death, except when inquiry as
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14 to the cause of death is required by Section 938 of this title. The
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15 physician, physician assistant, or Advanced Practice Registered
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16 Nurse shall enter and certify the medical certification portion of
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17 certificate data in the electronic system prescribed by the State
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18 Registrar of Vital Statistics.
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19 2. In the event that the physician, physician assistant, or
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20 Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in charge of the patient's care
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21 for the illness or condition which resulted in death is not in
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22 attendance at the time of death, the medical certification shall be
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23 completed and signed within five (5) calendar days after receipt of
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24 the partial certificate by the physician, physician assistant, or
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1 Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in attendance at the time of
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2 death, except:
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3 a. when the patient is under hospice care at the time of
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4 death, the medical certification may be signed by the
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5 hospice's medical director, and
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6 b. when inquiry as to the cause of death is required by
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7 Section 938 of this title.
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8 Provided, that such certification, if signed by other than the
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9 attending physician, physician assistant, or Advanced Practice
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10 Registered Nurse, shall note on the face the name of the attending
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11 physician, physician assistant, or Advanced Practice Registered
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12 Nurse and that the information shown is only as reported.
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13 3. It shall be the duty of the hospital that employs or
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14 contracts with the physician, physician assistant, or Advanced
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15 Practice Registered Nurse in attendance at the time of death as
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16 described in paragraph 2 of this subsection to ensure that the
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17 medical certification is completed and signed within the time period
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18 specified in paragraph 2 of this subsection.
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19 D. Within four (4) calendar days after receipt of the medical
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20 certification from the physician, physician assistant, or Advanced
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21 Practice Registered Nurse as described in subsection C of this
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22 section, the funeral director shall conduct a final review of the
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23 personal data and the medical certification, electronically sign the
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24 death certificate, and submit the death certificate to the State
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1 Registrar of Vital Statistics through the electronic system
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2 prescribed by the State Registrar of Vital Statistics for official
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3 registration.
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4 E. A certifier completing cause of death on a certificate of
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5 death who knows that a lethal drug, overdose or other means of
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6 assisting suicide within the meaning of Sections 3141.2 through
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7 3141.4 of this title caused or contributed to the death shall list
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8 that means among the chain of events under cause of death or list it
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9 in the box that describes how the injury occurred. If such means is
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10 in the chain of events under cause of death or in the box that
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11 describes how the injury occurred, the certifier shall indicate
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12 "suicide" as the manner of death.
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13 F. The authority of a physician assistant to carry out the
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14 functions described in this section shall be governed by the
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15 practice agreement as provided by Section 519.6 of Title 59 of the
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16 Oklahoma Statutes.
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17 G. A physician, physician assistant, or Advanced Practice
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18 Registered Nurse completing and signing a medical certification in
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19 accordance with this section shall not be liable in a civil action
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20 to recover damages for any acts or omissions relating to the medical
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21 certification if the cause of death is determined in good faith
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22 using the individual's best clinical judgment consistent with
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23 current guidance provided by the applicable licensing board, unless
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24 the acts or omissions amount to willful or wanton misconduct. The
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1 immunity provided by this subsection shall be in addition to any
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2 other immunity from liability to which these individuals may be
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3 entitled.
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4 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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6 60-2-3246 DC 1/15/2026 8:40:54 AM
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Req. No. 3246 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.