Allowing advanced practice nurse prescribers to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient’s death for purposes of the preparation of death records, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0505/1
JPC:skw

2025 SENATE BILL 43
February 12, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Cabral-Guevara and Nass, cosponsored by Representatives Summerfield, Dittrich, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Murphy, O'Connor, Penterman and Steffen. Referred to Committee on Health.

An Act to amend 69.01 (6g); to create 69.01 (1g) and 69.18 (1) (cL) of the statutes; relating to: allowing advanced practice nurse prescribers to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient’s death for purposes of the preparation of death records.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, any person who moves a corpse for the purpose of final disposition must file a death record for the corpse in a manner prescribed by the state registrar when the death occurred in this state, the corpse was found in this state, or certain other circumstances apply. For purposes of preparing the death record, certain health care providers may pronounce the date, time, and place of the death in certain circumstances, including naturopathic doctors and physician assistants. This bill allows advanced practice nurse prescribers who are directly involved with the care of a patient who dies to pronounce the date, time, and place of the patient’s death for purposes of preparation of the death record.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 69.01 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:

69.01 (1g) “Advanced practice nurse prescriber” means an advanced practice nurse who is certified under s. 441.16 (2) to issue prescription orders.
Section 2. 69.01 (6g) of the statutes is amended to read:
69.01 (6g) “Date of death” means the date that a person is pronounced dead by a physician, naturopathic doctor, coroner, deputy coroner, medical examiner, deputy medical examiner, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse prescriber, or hospice nurse.
Section 3. 69.18 (1) (cL) of the statutes is created to read:
69.18 (1) (cL) Except as provided in par. (cm), for purposes of preparation of the death record and in accordance with accepted medical standards, an advanced practice nurse prescriber who is directly involved with the care of a patient who dies may pronounce the date, time, and place of the patient’s death.
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