PRINTER'S NO. 991
No. 920 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY PETERSON, E. Z. TAYLOR, LEVI, GRUPPO, BOYES,
MADIGAN, BOWSER, GRABOWSKI AND NOYE, MARCH 17, 1981
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 17, 1981
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), entitled "An
2 act providing for the administration of a statewide system of
3 vital statistics; prescribing the functions of the State
4 Department of Health, the State Advisory Health Board and
5 local registrars; imposing duties upon coroners,
6 prothonotaries, clerks of orphans' court, physicians,
7 midwives and other persons; requiring reports and
8 certificates for the registration of vital statistics;
9 regulating the disposition of dead bodies; limiting the
10 disclosure of records; prescribing the sufficiency of vital
11 statistics records as evidence; prescribing fees and
12 penalties; and revising and consolidating the laws relating
13 thereto," limiting the authority to promulgate certain
14 regulations concerning the depth of graves.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. Section 506, act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304,
18 No.66), known as the "Vital Statistics Law of 1953," is amended
19 to read:
20 Section 506. Death and Fetal Death Registration: Regulations
21 Concerning Dead Bodies and Fetal Remains.--The Advisory Health
22 Board shall make and may amend or repeal regulations governing
23 disposal, transportation, interment and disinterment of dead
1 bodies and fetal remains, in order to protect the public health
2 and promote the integrity and efficacy of death and fetal death
3 registration. However, the Advisory Health Board shall not,
4 pursuant to the authority contained in this or any other act,
5 promulgate any regulation which would require that the top of
6 the outer case containing a casket be buried a distance of more
7 than two feet from the natural surface of the ground.
8 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately and any
9 regulations inconsistent with this act, including but not
10 limited to 28 Pa. Code § 1.21 (relating to depth of graves), is
11 hereby abrogated to the extent of the inconsistency.
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