HB 25-1082

House Bill 25-1082, also known as the "Qualified Individuals Death Certificates" bill, expands who can sign death certificates in Colorado by including physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses along with physicians. These professionals must register to use a specific electronic system and complete training before signing their first death certificate. The bill also allocates $25,000 for implementation costs. Since the bill has been signed into law, these changes are now official and will affect how death certificates are handled in Colorado starting from 2025-26 fiscal year onwards.

Official Summary

In current law, a "qualified individual" is authorized to determine the cause of death of an individual and complete the medical certification for a certificate of death. The act defines the term "qualified individual" to include a physician, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse, or the chief medical officer of the institution in which the death occurred. The act requires that qualified individuals register to use the electronic death registration system used by the department of public health and environment (department) and the state registrar prior to signing a death certificate. Physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses are required to review training materials regarding signing a death certificate provided by the department before the first time they sign a death certificate. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $25,000 is appropriated to the department from the vital statistics records cash fund for use by the center for health and environmental data to implement the act. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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