Certificates of death: gender identity.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health under the direction of the State Public Health Officer. Existing law sets forth its powers and duties of the State Public Health Officer, including, but not limited to, designation as the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, having supervisory powers over local registrars and responsible for the uniform and thorough enforcement of provisions relating to the registration of certain vital statistics. Existing law requires that each death be registered with the local registrar of births and deaths in the district in which the death was officially pronounced or the body was found. Existing law sets forth the persons responsible for completing the certificate of death and the required contents of the certificate, including, but not limited to, the decedent's name, sex, and birthplace. Certain violations of these requirements are a crime. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2015, require a person completing the certificate of death to record the decedent's sex to reflect the decedent's gender identity. The bill would require the decedent's gender identity to be reported by the informant, unless the person completing the certificate is presented with a specified document, in which case the person completing the certificate would be required to record the decedent's sex as that which corresponds to the decedent's gender identity as indicated in that document. The bill would provide that if none of the specified documents are presented and the person with the right, or a majority of persons who have equal rights, to control the disposition of the remains is in disagreement with the gender identity reported by the informant, the gender identity of the decedent recorded on the death certificate is to be as reported by that person or majority of persons. The bill would also provide that if none of the specified documents are presented and a majority of persons who have equal rights to control the disposition of the remains do not agree on the gender identity of the decedent as reported by the informant, any one of those persons may petition the court to determine who among those persons will determine the gender identity of the decedent, as specified. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2015, grant immunity from liability for costs or damages arising from any claims based upon a person entering a decedent's gender as required by this bill. The bill would also require a person completing the death certificate to satisfy certain data and certification requirements, as specified, using the information available to him or her prior to the deadlines for completion. By changing the definition of existing crimes, and by increasing the responsibility of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.