65-2412. Registration of deaths and stillbirths; official death records; use of verified forms; establishment and collection of fee; duties of coroners; filing of certificates.
65-2412
65-2412. Registration of deaths and stillbirths; official deathrecords; use of verified forms; establishment and collection of fee;duties of coroners; filing of certificates.(a) A death certificate or stillbirth certificate for each death or stillbirthwhich occurs in this state shall be filed with the state registrar within threedays after such death and prior to removal of the body from the state and shallbe registered by the state registrar if such death certificate or stillbirthcertificate has been completed and filed in accordance with this section. Ifthe place of death is unknown, a death certificate shall be filed indicatingthe location where the body was found as the place of death. A certificateshall be filed within three days after such occurrence; if death occurs in amoving conveyance, the death certificate shall record the location where thedead body was first removed from such conveyance as the place of death.
(b) The funeral director or person acting as such who first assumes custodyof a dead body or fetus shall file the death certificate. Such person shallobtain the personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified person orsource available and shall obtain the medical certification of cause of deathfrom the physician last in attendance prior to burial. The death certificatefiled with the state registrar shall be the official death record, except thata funeral director licensed pursuant to K.S.A. 65-1714, and amendmentsthereto,may verify as true and accurate information pertaining to a death on a formprovided by the state registrar, and any such form, verified within 21 days ofdate of death, shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated forpurposes of establishing death. The secretary of health and environment shallfix and collect a fee for each form provided a funeral director pursuant tothis subsection. The fee shall be collected at the time the form is providedthe funeral director and shall be in the same amount as the fee for a certifiedcopy of a death certificate.
(c) When death occurred without medical attendance or when inquiry isrequired by the laws relating to postmortem examinations, the coroner shallinvestigate the cause of death and shall complete and sign the medicalcertification within 24 hours after receipt of the death certificate or asprovided inK.S.A. 65-2414, and amendments thereto.
(d) In every instance a certificate shall be filed prior to interment ordisposal of the body.
History: L. 1951, ch. 355, § 12; L. 1963, ch. 319, § 4; L. 1979,ch. 188, § 13;L. 1990, ch. 226, § 5;L. 1993, ch. 214, § 9; July 1.