The Cemetery & Mortuary Association of California
Assembly Bill 540, Chapter 307

An act to add Section 103265 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to vital statistics.

[Approved by Governor September 4, 2003. Filed with Secretary of State September 5, 2003.]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 540, Bogh. Death certificates: peace officers.

Existing law requires the Director of Health Services, as the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, to administer the registration of births, deaths, fetal deaths, and marriages, and provides that the State Registrar of Vital Statistics has supervisory power over local registrars. Existing law contains procedures for the amendment of death certificates by the State Registrar and local registrars.

This bill would require an amended certificate of death of a peace officer who was killed in the line of duty to be processed immediately upon acceptance for filing and to be issued by the State Registrar or local registrar no later than 10 business days following acceptance for filing.

By requiring a higher level of service of local registrars, 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, including the creation of a State Mandates Claims Fund to pay the costs of mandates that do not exceed $1,000,000 statewide and other procedures for claims whose statewide costs exceed $1,000,000.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Riverside County Deputies Jenkins and Lee Act.

SEC. 2. Section 103265 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

103265. An amended certificate of death of an individual who is a peace officer pursuant to Section 830 of the Penal Code, who was killed in the line of duty, shall be processed immediately upon acceptance for filing and shall be issued by the State Registrar or local registrar no later than 10 business days following acceptance for filing.

SEC. 3. Notwithstanding Section 17610 of the Government Code, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code. If the statewide cost of the claim for reimbursement does not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000), reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund.

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