HB1734

House Bill 1734 amends Arkansas Code § 20-18-601 to clarify and expand the authority of specific medical professionals to sign medical certificates of death and pronounce a patient dead. The bill explicitly authorizes registered nurses employed by a hospice program to sign death certificates and pronounce death for terminally ill, hospice-enrolled patients who die in hospice inpatient programs, nursing homes, or hospitals. Additionally, the bill permits advanced practice registered nurses to perform these duties within a hospital setting, provided they are granted the authority by the hospital's medical staff and a physician, other than an emergency department physician, is not immediately available. The primary purpose of this legislation is to streamline administrative procedures surrounding end-of-life documentation in specific clinical contexts.