SENATE, No. 814

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 22, 1996

By Senator MARTIN

An Act concerning the State medical examiner and amending R.S.26:8-52.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. R.S.26:8-52 is amended to read as follows:

    26:8-52. Corrections to death certificates shall be signed by the physician, registered professional nurse, county medical examiner, State [medical examiner] Medical Examiner, funeral director or informant, whose name appears upon the certificate; however, any individual having personal knowledge and substantiating documentary proof of the matters sought to be corrected may apply under oath to the county medical examiner or the State Medical Examiner in a case in which the certificate was signed by the State Medical Examiner, to have the certificate corrected. The authority to sign corrections or amendments to causes or duration of causes of death is restricted to the physician, State [medical examiner] Medical Examiner or county medical examiner. Upon denial of an application for correction or amendment of a death certificate, a person who has applied to a county medical examiner may apply to the State Medical Examiner, who shall exercise discretion to review the matter and amend the certificate or to defer to the decision of the county medical examiner. The decision of the county medical examiner shall be deemed the final decision by a public officer in the matter unless the State Medical Examiner amends or corrects the certificate.

(cf. P.L.1983, c.308 s.3)

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill amends R.S.26:8-52 to allow the State medical examiner to sign off on corrections to death certificates. The bill also gives the State Medical Examiner the authority to sign off on corrections or amendments to death certificates relating to the causes or duration of causes of death.

    The bill also provides that upon denial of an application for correction or amendment of a death certificate, a person who has applied to a county medical examiner may apply to the State Medical Examiner who may review the matter and amend the certificate or defer to the decision of the county medical examiner. The decision of the county medical examiner shall be deemed the final decision by a public officer in the matter unless the State Medical Examiner amends or corrects the death certificate.

Allows State medical examiner to sign corrections to death certificates.