BILL NO. 72
(as introduced)
3rd Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
60 Elizabeth II, 2011
Timely Medical Certificates Act
The Honourable John MacDonell
Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
First Reading: November 1, 2011
Second Reading: November 4, 2011
Third Reading: December 8, 2011 (LINK TO BILL AS PASSED)
Explanatory Notes
Clause 1 provides a short title to this Act.
Clause 2 adds the definition of nurse practitioner to the Act.
Clause 3(a) allows a nurse practitioner, in the circumstances defined by regulation to sign a medical certificate of death;
(b) allows a qualified person as authorized by regulation and in the circumstances defined by regulation to sign a medical certificate of death; and
(c) in situations where a nurse practitioner or qualified person is unavailable, directs the funeral director on the manner to proceed to obtain a medical certificate of death.
Clause 4 adds to the regulation-making authority the ability to set out criteria and conditions when and where a nurse practitioner or a person specified by the regulations can sign a death certificate.
An Act to Amend Chapter 494
of the Revised Statutes, 1989,
the Vital Statistics Act
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Timely Medical Certificates Act.
2 Section 2 of Chapter 494 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Vital Statistics Act, as amended by Chapter 8 of the Acts of 1998, Chapter 29 of the Acts of 2000 and Chapter 31 of the Acts of 2001, is further amended by adding immediately after clause (o) the following clause:
3 (1) Subsections 17(3) and (4) of Chapter 494 are repealed and the following subsections substituted:
(a) the medical practitioner who was last in attendance during the last illness of the deceased;
(b) a nurse practitioner in the circumstances prescribed by the regulations;
(c) a qualified person authorized by the regulations and in the circumstances prescribed by the regulations; or
(d) where the Chief Medical Examiner has conducted an inquest on the body or an inquiry into the circumstances of the death, the Chief Medical Examiner,
a medical certificate in the prescribed form stating the cause of death according to the International List of Causes of Death, as last revised by the International Commission assembled for that purpose.
(4) Upon the request of the funeral director, the person who has been asked to provide the medical certificate pursuant to subsection (3) shall complete the medical certificate in the prescribed form and cause it to be delivered to the funeral director.
(2) Subsection 17(5) of Chapter 494 as amended by Chapter 31 of the Acts of 2001, is further amended by
(a) adding ", a nurse practitioner or a qualified person" immediately after "medical practitioner" in the second line; and
(b) striking out "(4)" in the third line and substituting "(3)".
4 Subsection 51(1) of Chapter 494, as amended by Chapter 8 of the Acts of 1998, Chapter 29 of the Acts of 2000, Chapters 5 and 45 of the Acts of 2001 and Chapter 15 of the Acts of 2006, is further amended by adding immediately after clause (f) the following clauses:
(fb) prescribing the circumstances under which, including when and where, a nurse practitioner or a qualified person is authorized to complete and sign a medical certificate of death;
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2011 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created November 1, 2011. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
