(a) Any Etowah County health officer or administrator is authorized to issue an official death certificate in any case within the county, except where an autopsy is required. Data obtained from the attending physician or funeral director shall be kept on file for one yearfollowing the death for the purpose of issuing such death certificate. Such certificate shall be in all particulars the same as those issued by the State Department of Public Health in any court or for insurance purposes. Nothing in this section shall affect any existing duty of any person to gather and transmit data to the local registrar or to the State Health Department.
person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
year: means a calendar year; but, whenever the word "year" is used in reference to any appropriations for the payment of money out of the treasury, it shall mean fiscal year. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) The county health officer shall not later than 10 days from the date of death, make such official death certificate available to the surviving spouse or next of kin of the deceased at a fee not greater than that charged by the State Health Department for the same service. The county health officer shall cause a complete and correct account to be kept of all fees received by him or her under this section and shall remit the fees to the treasurer of the county board of health or like official for custody subject to disbursement for purposes of health services in Etowah County.
