As Reported by the House Health Committee

125th General Assembly
Regular Session
2003-2004
Sub. H. B. No. 257


REPRESENTATIVES Clancy, McGregor, Reidelbach, Setzer, C. Evans, Fessler, Latta, S. Patton, Kearns, Collier, Young, Seaver, Schmidt, Barrett, DeBose, S. Smith, Hoops, Cirelli, Price, Beatty, Harwood, Martin



A BILL
To amend section 3705.08 of the Revised Code 1
regarding the information included on death 2
certificates.3


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That section 3705.08 of the Revised Code be 4
amended to read as follows:5

       Sec. 3705.08. (A) The director of health, by rule, shall6
prescribe the form of records and certificates required by this7
chapter. Records and certificates shall include the items and8
information prescribed by the director, including the items9
recommended by the national center for health statistics of the10
United States department of health and human services, subject to11
approval of and modification by the director, and all.12

       (B) All birth certificates shall include a statement setting 13
forth the names of the child's parents and a line for the mother's 14
and the father's signature.15

       (C) All death certificates shall include, in the medical 16
certification portion of the certificate, a space to indicate, if 17
the deceased individual is female, whether any of the following 18
conditions apply to the individual:19

       (1) Not pregnant within the past year;20

       (2) Pregnant at the time of death;21

       (3) Not pregnant, but had been pregnant within forty-two days 22
prior to the time of death;23

       (4) Not pregnant, but had been pregnant within forty-three 24
days to one year prior to the time of death;25

       (5) Unknown whether pregnant within the past year.26

       (D)(1) The director shall prescribe methods, forms, and 27
blanks and shall furnish necessary postage, forms, and blanks for 28
obtaining registration of births, deaths, and other vital 29
statistics in each registration district, and for preserving the 30
records of the office of vital statistics, and no forms or blanks 31
shall be used other than those prescribed by the director.32

       (2) All birth, fetal death, and death records and 33
certificates shall be printed legibly or typewritten in unfading 34
black ink and signed. Except as provided in division (G) of 35
section 3705.09, division (A) of section 3705.12, division (D) of 36
section 3705.15, or section 3705.16 of the Revised Code, a 37
signature required on a birth, fetal death, or death certificate 38
shall be written by the person required to sign and a facsimile 39
signature shall not be used.40

       (3) All vital records shall contain the date received for41
registration.42

       (4) Information required in certificates, records, or reports43
authorized by this chapter may be filed and registered by44
photographic, electronic, or other means as prescribed by the45
director.46

       Section 2. That existing section 3705.08 of the Revised Code 47
is hereby repealed.48