Kansas Statutes

Statute 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. (a) A death certificate or stillbirth certificate for each death or stillbirth which occurs in this state shall be filed with the state registrar within three days after such death and prior to removal of the body from the state and shall be registered by the state registrar if such death certificate or stillbirth certificate has been completed and filed in accordance with this section. If the place of death is unknown, a death certificate shall be filed indicating the location where the body was found as the place of death. A certificate shall be filed within three days after such occurrence; if death occurs in a moving conveyance, the death certificate shall record the location where the dead body was first removed from such conveyance as the place of death.

      (b)   The funeral director or person acting as such who first assumes custody of a dead body or fetus shall file the death certificate. Such person shall obtain the personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified person or source available and shall obtain the medical certification of cause of death from the physician last in attendance prior to burial. The death certificate filed with the state registrar shall be the official death record, except that a funeral director licensed pursuant to K.S.A. 65-1714, and amendments thereto, may verify as true and accurate information pertaining to a death on a form provided by the state registrar, and any such form, verified within 21 days of date of death, shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated for purposes of establishing death. The secretary of health and environment shall fix and collect a fee for each form provided a funeral director pursuant to this subsection. The fee shall be collected at the time the form is provided the funeral director and shall be in the same amount as the fee for a certified copy of a death certificate.

      (c)   When death occurred without medical attendance or when inquiry is required by the laws relating to postmortem examinations, the coroner shall investigate the cause of death and shall complete and sign the medical certification within 24 hours after receipt of the death certificate or as provided in K.S.A. 65-2414, and amendments thereto.

      (d)   In every instance a certificate shall be filed prior to interment or disposal 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.