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HB 117

DEATH CERTIFICATE BY PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cynthia Borrego and 3 co-sponsors

New Mexico authorizes physician assistants to sign death certificates, expanding medical authority previously held only by physicians and nurse practitioners.

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Bill Summary · HB 117

Legislative bill overview

HB 117 authorizes physician assistants (PAs) to sign death certificates in New Mexico, a responsibility previously limited to physicians, nurse practitioners, and other credentialed medical professionals. The bill expands who can certify deaths in clinical settings, potentially improving workflow efficiency in medical facilities and addressing staffing shortages.

Why is this important

Death certificates are legally required documents that trigger estate settlements, insurance claims, and vital statistics reporting. Expanding who can issue them affects healthcare operations, death investigation procedures, and families' ability to process their loved ones' deaths. This change reflects broader workforce trends where mid-level practitioners assume greater clinical responsibilities.

Potential points of contention

  • Medical liability and accuracy: Whether PAs have equivalent training and experience to physicians in determining causes of death, particularly in complex or suspicious cases
  • Death investigation authority: Unclear how this interacts with medical examiners and coroners who investigate certain deaths, and whether PAs can legally bypass those officials
  • Scope of practice boundaries: Questions about what types of deaths PAs can certify (natural vs. unexpected) and whether limitations are adequately defined in the statute

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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