Article 1 - Duty of Registering Fetal Death

California Health and Safety Code — §§ 102950-102970

Sections (4)

Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 661, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.

(a)Each fetal death in which the fetus has advanced to or beyond the 20th week of uterogestation shall be registered with the local registrar of births and deaths of the district in which the fetal death was officially pronounced within eight calendar days following the event and prior to any disposition of the fetus.
(b)Subdivision (a) shall not apply to the termination of a pregnancy performed in compliance with Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 123460) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 106.

Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.

A funeral director, or if there is no funeral director, the person acting in lieu thereof, shall prepare the certificate and register it with the local registrar.

Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 304.45. Effective September 29, 1996.

A funeral director, or if there is no funeral director, the person acting in lieu thereof, shall obtain the required information other than medical and health section data from the person or source best qualified to supply this information.

Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 492, Sec. 8. (SB 1511) Effective January 1, 2025.

(a)The department shall regularly, but no less than annually, review fetal death registrations completed pursuant to this chapter to determine whether there is a failure to comply with the required timeframes for fetal death registration pursuant to Section 102950. The department’s review is not required to include a determination of culpability for any late registrations.
(b)If the department identifies repeated failures to comply with the timeframe required by Section 102950, the department shall electronically notify the Medical Board of California, the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, or other relevant licensing entity of an individual’s or entity’s failure to timely

comply with fetal death registration requirements. Notwithstanding Section 102430, the department’s electronic notification shall include the information necessary for the relevant licensing entity to adequately investigate the identified untimely fetal death registration.

(c)For purposes of this section, “repeated failures” means an individual’s or entity’s failure to timely comply with fetal death registration requirements more than 25 percent of the time in a calendar year.