LANSING — The Michigan Senate has unanimously approved legislation aimed at speeding up the state’s death certificate process for grieving families.
House Bills 4077 and 4078 would require death certificates in Michigan to be completed within 48 hours and submitted through the secure web-based system already operated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
State Representative Julie Rogers of Kalamazoo said the legislation is intended to prevent administrative delays from interfering with funeral planning and other end-of-life arrangements. State Representative Mike Mueller of Linden said the measure is designed to reduce red tape for funeral directors and medical examiners.
The legislation also clarifies when a physician must certify a death and removes outdated requirements that automatically referred certain cases to a county medical examiner.
Funeral services, burial or cremation arrangements, insurance claims, and estate settlements often depend on timely death certificates.
The bills now head to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for consideration.