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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 26-0623.01 Josh Schultz x5486 HOUSE BILL 26-1296
House Committees Senate Committees
State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING DISCIPLINE FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED101
NURSES FOR A FAILURE TO TIMELY COMP LETE A MEDICAL102
CERTIFICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF DEATH.103
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov/.)
Statutory Revision Committee. House Bill 25-1082 added
physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to the
professions subject to discipline for a failure to timely complete a medical
certification for a certificate of death. The bill adds the repeated or willful
failure, without reasonable cause, to comply with the requirements of
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 7, 2026
SENATE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 6, 2026
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 9, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
March 6, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Bradley and Carter, Espenoza, Caldwell, Duran, Flanell, Gonzalez R., Keltie, Winter T.
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Ball and Rich, Coleman
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
completing a medical certification for a certificate of death to the grounds
for discipline in the "Nurse and Nurse Aide Practice Act".
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-2-110, amend (4)2
as follows:3
25-2-110. Certificates of death - electronic death registration4
system - amended certificate of death following a change in gender -5
rules - definitions.6
(4) (a) Except when inquiry is required by any provision of section7
30-10-606 other than section 30-10-606 (1)(b), the physician, physician8
assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse in charge of the patient's9
care for the illness or condition that resulted in death shall complete the10
medical certification for the certificate of death within seventy-two hours11
after receipt of the electronic death registration request or, before March12
1, 2024, only, for a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice13
registered nurse who is not yet registered to use and using the electronic14
death registration system used by the department of public health and15
environment and the state registrar pursuant to subsection (1)(b)(I) of this16
section, within seventy-two hours after receiving notice that a medical17
certification for a certificate of death must be completed. In the absence18
of the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse19
or with the physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice20
registered nurse's approval, the certificate may be completed and signed21
by an associate physician, physician assistant, advanced practice22
registered nurse, the chief medical officer of the institution in which the23
death occurred, or the physician who performed an autopsy upon the24
decedent, if such individual has access to the medical history of the case,25
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if said individual views the decedent at or after the time of death, and if1
the death is due to natural causes. If the death is or may be due to2
unnatural causes, a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice3
registered nurse required to complete a medical certification for a4
certificate of death in accordance with this subsection (4) shall notify the5
coroner or the medical examiner when an inquiry or an autopsy is6
required to be performed pursuant to sections 30-10-606 and 30-10-606.5.7
(b) (I) On and after March 1, 2024, a physician's OR A physician8
assistant's or advanced practice registered nurse's repeated or willful9
failure without reasonable cause to comply with timely completion of a10
medical certification for a certificate of death in accordance with11
subsection (1)(a) of this section and this subsection (4) constitutes12
unprofessional conduct, as defined in section 12-240-121 (1)(hh).13
(II) O N AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION14
(4)(b)(II), AN ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE 'S REPEATED OR15
WILLFUL FAILURE WITHOUT REASONABLE CAUSE TO COMPLY WITH TIMELY16
COMPLETION OF A MEDICAL CERTIFICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF DEATH17
IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION (1)(a) OF THIS SECTION AND THIS18
SUBSECTION (4) IS GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINE , AS DEFINED IN SECTION19
12-255-120 (1)(ii).20
(III) If an autopsy is performed, the MEDICAL certification shall21
indicate whether the decedent was pregnant at the time of death, and the22
information shall be reported on the death certificate as required by23
subsection (9) of this section. Except as otherwise provided in subsection24
(4.5) of this s ection, the phy sician, physician assistant, or advanced25
practice registered nurse, or, in their absence, their designee in26
accordance with this subsection (4), shall complete the medical27
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certification for a certificate of death required by this subsection (4) using1
the electronic death registration system used by the department of public2
health and environment and the state registrar pursuant to subsection3
(1)(b)(I) of this section.4
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-255-120, amend5
(1)(gg) and (1)(hh); and add (1)(ii) as follows:6
12-255-120. Grounds for discipline - definitions.7
(1) "Grounds for discipline", as used in this part 1, means any8
action by any person who:9
(gg) Is diverting or has diverted a controlled substance, as defined10
in section 18-18-102 (5), or any other drug having similar effects from the11
person's place of employment; or12
(hh) Has been convicted of an offense under section 18-13-131.13
For purposes of this subsection (1)(hh), "convicted" includes the entry of14
a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or the imposition of a deferred15
sentence; OR16
(ii) R EPEATEDLY OR WILLFULLY FAILS , WITHOUT REASONABLE17
CAUSE, TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF COMPLETING A MEDICAL18
CERTIFICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF DEATH IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY19
APPLICABLE DEADLINE SET FORTH IN SECTION 25-2-110.20
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act21
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the22
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August23
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a24
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the25
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act26
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect27
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unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in1
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the2
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.3
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