ACT Certification Powers for Nurse Practitioners to Issue Cause of Death Certificates

Nurse Practitioners Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

5 Mar 2026: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

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Topics

coroner jurisdiction death certification end of life care healthcare medical records

Introduced by: The Hon Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA (ALP) — Minister for Finance, Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for the Public Service

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Nurse practitioners can now give the registrar-general a cause of death certificate; they must have been responsible for the person's medical care immediately before death.
Doctors must give the registrar-general a cause of death certificate within 48 hours of death; failure to do so is a strict liability offence with a maximum penalty of 5 penalty units (2026: $800).
Nurse practitioners are banned from issuing a cause of death certificate if they believe another practitioner has already done so; this also applies if the death was reported to a coroner.
Criminal offences apply to doctors or nurse practitioners who give a cause of death certificate in prohibited circumstances.
The Coroner has jurisdiction over a death if no cause of death certificate is provided; this also applies if the person was not seen by a doctor or nurse practitioner in the 6 months before death.
Non-written health directions are invalid unless two health professionals witness them at the same time; at least one witness must be a doctor or nurse practitioner.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Rachel Stephen-Smith ALP

“I move: That this bill be agreed to in principle. I rise today to present the Nurse Practitioners Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, to introduce key amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997 and theMedical Treatment (Health Directions)Act 2006,as well as someconsequential changes to other laws.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Landmark reforms expand scope of practice for ACT nurse practitioners

Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA, ACT Health Minister — 2025-12-05

Enabling the legal practice authority for nurse practitioners to issue cause of death certificates, where they were responsible for the care of the person and within 48 hours of the person’s death supports families during a difficult time and helps them to finalise legal affairs more quickly.