1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to health; requiring notice of deaths of 
  1.3             unidentified homeless persons; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2000, sections 144.05, by adding a 
  1.5             subdivision; 149A.90, subdivision 1. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 144.05, is 
  1.8   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 4.  [IDENTIFICATION OF DECEASED HOMELESS 
  1.10  INDIVIDUALS.] Upon receiving notice under section 149A.90, 
  1.11  subdivision 1, of the death of a homeless individual who cannot 
  1.12  be identified, the commissioner must post on the department's 
  1.13  Web site information regarding the individual for purposes of 
  1.14  obtaining information that may aid in identifying the individual 
  1.15  and for purposes of notifying relatives who may be seeking the 
  1.16  individual.  The information must remain on the Web site 
  1.17  continuously until the person's identity is determined. 
  1.18     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 149A.90, 
  1.19  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.20     Subdivision 1.  [DEATH CERTIFICATE.] (a) Except as provided 
  1.21  in this section, a death certificate must be completed and filed 
  1.22  for every known death by the mortician, funeral director, or 
  1.23  other person lawfully in charge of the disposition of the body. 
  1.24     (b) If the body is that of a homeless individual whose 
  1.25  identity is unknown, the person in charge of the disposition of 
  2.1   the body must notify the commissioner for purposes of compliance 
  2.2   with section 144.05, subdivision 4.