Sectional Analysis for CS for HB 383 (Jud)

An Act Relating to Expected Deaths that Occur at Home

Section 1 Adds a new section to AS 12.65, "Death Investigations and Medical Examiners," stating that a peace officer does not have to respond to the scene of expected home deaths provided that the following criteria are met:

• the death was expected to occur due to the person’s state of health;
• the death occurred as expected due to the person’s state of health;
• a person authorized to determine and pronounce death does so; and
• a form signed by the dead person’s physician concerning the physician’s expectation that the death would occur is on file with the law enforcement agency for that jurisdiction.

Also states a person is not prohibited from requesting a peace officer to respond to the scene if the person feels a death investigation may be appropriate. Additionally the person is not relieved of the duty to notify the medical examiner and peace officer of a death that is described in AS 12.65.005(a), "Duty to notify state medical examiner."

Last updated 04-14-98

Sectional Analysis for House Bill 383

An Act Relating to Expected Deaths that Occur at Home or in a Health Care Facility

Section 1: Amends AS 08.68.395 "Determination of death by registered nurse," subsection (a) to specify that the required documentation for anticipated death include the physician’s agreement to sign the death certificate if the death occurs as anticipated.

Section 2: Amends AS 08.68.395(b) to specify that the registered nurse who pronounced death in an anticipated death circumstance shall provide to the person signing the death certificate the required information.

Section 3: Adds a new section to AS 12.65, "Death Investigations and Medical Examiners," stating that a peace officer does not have to be notified in cases of expected home deaths where a person authorized to pronounce death is in attendance or has knowledge of the death.

SB383/SA/2/11/98