§ 16-37-1-3.1 — Indiana birth registration and Indiana death registration systems established; submission of records

Indiana § 16-37-1-3.1

• Jurisdiction: Indiana
• Title 16: HEALTH
• Art. 37: VITAL STATISTICS
• Ch. 1: General Provisions

Text

1. (a) The state department shall establish the
Indiana birth registration system (IBRS) for recording in an electronic
format live births in Indiana.
(b) The state department shall establish the Indiana death
registration system (IDRS) for recording in an electronic format deaths
in Indiana.
(c) Submission of records on births and deaths shall be entered by:
(1) funeral directors;
(2) physicians;
(3) coroners;
(4) medical examiners;
(5) persons in attendance at birth;
(6) local health departments; and
(7) for purposes of records on death:
(A) physician assistants; or
(B) advanced practice registered nurses;
using the electronic system created by the state department under this
section.
(d) A person in attendance at a live birth shall report a birth to the
local health officer in accordance with IC 16-37-2-2.
(e) Except as provided in subsections (f) and (g), death records shall
be submitted as follows, using the Indiana death registration system:
(1) The:
(A) physician last in attendance upon the deceased;
(B) physician assistant last in attendance upon the deceased;
(C) advanced practice registered nurse last in attendance upon
the deceased; or
(D) person in charge of interment;
shall initiate the document process. If the person in charge of
interment initiates the process, the person in charge of interment
shall electronically submit the certificate required under IC 16-37-3-5 to the physician, the physician assistant, or the
advanced practice registered nurse last in attendance upon the
deceased not later than five (5) days after the death.
(2) The physician, the physician assistant, or the advanced
practice registered nurse last in attendance upon the deceased
shall electronically certify to the local health department the cause
of death on the certificate of death not later than five (5) days
after:
(A) initiating the document process; or
(B) receiving under IC 16-37-3-5 the electronic notification
from the person in charge of interment.
(3) The local health officer shall submit the reports required under
IC 16-37-1-5 to the state department not later than five (5) days
after electronically receiving under IC 16-37-3-5 the completed
certificate of death from the physician, the physician assistant, or
the advanced practice registered nurse last in attendance.
(f) If the IBRS or IDRS is unavailable for more than forty-eight (48)
hours, the state registrar may issue a notice permitting the filing of a
paper record of a live birth, a death, or both, subject to the following:
(1) The notice issued by the state registrar must contain a time
frame for which the notice is in effect and when the notice
expires. However, the notice automatically expires if the state
department notifies the local health officers that the IBRS or
IDRS is available, the notice has expired, and that all future
submissions must use the IBRS or IDRS.
(2) Paper records may not be accepted by the local health
department or the state department on the earlier of the following:
(A) The expiration date listed in the notice or the expiration
listed in a renewal notice described in subdivision (3).
(B) The state department notifies the local health officers when
the IBRS or IDRS becomes available.
(3) The notice may be renewed by the state registrar until the
IBRS or IDRS becomes available.
(4) Once the IBRS or IDRS becomes available, the local health
officer shall enter the information contained in the paper record
into the IBRS or IDRS.
(g) This subsection applies to the submission of a death record of a
stillbirth. The:
(1) physician last in attendance upon the deceased;
(2) physician assistant last in attendance upon the deceased; or
(3) advanced practice registered nurse last in attendance upon the
deceased;
shall initiate the document process unless the physician, physician
assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse was not present upon
the deceased.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.61-2009, SEC.5. Amended by P.L.156-2011, SEC.33; P.L.138-2019, SEC.4; P.L.131-2020, SEC.3; P.L.56-2023, SEC.155; P.L.171-2025, SEC.13.