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House passes bill allowing physician assistants to pronounce death and sign certificates
Summary
The Delaware House passed House Bill 224 on 01/15/2026 to allow physician assistants to pronounce death and sign death certificates, aligning Titles 16 and 24 of the Delaware Code and earning unanimous committee support and hospital association backing.
The Delaware House of Representatives on Jan. 15 passed House Bill 224, which allows physician assistants to pronounce death and sign death certificates.
Representative Johnson presented the bill on the House floor, saying the change aligns Title 16 and Title 24 of the Delaware Code with current medical practice so physician assistants (PAs) who examine and diagnose a patient can perform pronouncements and sign death certificates. "This is a critical function especially for families waiting for closure after a loved one has passed," Johnson said, adding that the bill makes technical corrections to align scope-of-practice language and had unanimous support in committee.
The bill drew endorsements from the Delaware Hospital Association and the Delaware Academy of Physician Assistants, Johnson said. She told colleagues the measure "does not create new mandates" and was intended to reflect how health care is delivered today.
A roll call recorded 36 yes votes and 5 absences; the Chief Clerk announced that the bill "is hereby passed the House." The House did not record amendments or conditions on the floor.
The next procedural step is transmission to the Senate as required by legislative process; the House did not announce a Senate schedule during the session.
