Committee approves measure letting advanced practice registered nurses pronounce deaths and sign certificates with hospital permission

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee recommended House Bill 17‑34 for passage after the sponsor and coroner association representatives explained the operational need in hospitals where emergency physicians are unable to leave the emergency department to go to an inpatient floor for a pronouncement.

Representative Paul Childress introduced the bill and deferred to Kevin Cleghorn, president of the Arkansas Coroners Association, who described situations in rural hospitals where emergency-room physicians may be occupied, beds are scarce and hospitalists or ER providers cannot immediately reach an inpatient floor to pronounce a death. Under the amended language adopted in committee, an advanced practice registered nurse may pronounce death and sign the death certificate in a hospital setting if the hospital medical director grants permission and if no other physician (other than an emergency department physician) is immediately available.

A committee amendment was adopted to add the condition that the authorization be explicit in writing: "by the medical staff of the hospital and a position other than an emergency department physician is not immediately available." After brief discussion there were no registered opponents and the committee voted to pass the bill as amended.

What happens next: HB17‑34 will proceed with a committee recommendation. Sponsors and committee members said the change is intended to reduce delays that keep inpatient rooms occupied and to preserve emergency-room coverage during critical calls.

Sources: Committee hearing transcript, sponsor and coroner association testimony.