Modernizes medical certification of death records by moving certification onto MDHHS's secure web-based Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) and phasing out routine paper certification, with the electronic requirement effective on or before March 16, 2027. Amends the Public Health Code (1978 PA 368).
Legislative status
Signed into law as Public Act 3 of 2026, HB 4077 moves medical certification of death records onto MDHHS's secure web-based Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) and phases out routine paper certification, with the electronic requirement effective on or before March 16, 2027. For funeral homes it means faster, more accurate death certificates and an end to routine paper certification. Sponsored by Rep. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo); the House passed it 106-2 and the Senate 36-0.
Key provisions
What this means for operators
Every Michigan funeral home should prepare its workflow for the EDRS cutover by March 16, 2027 — routine paper certification is ending. The change targets the death-certificate delays operators most often cite when families are waiting to schedule services.
May 10, 2026
HB 4077 is now Public Act 3 of 2026, and the clock is real: routine paper death certification ends and everything moves to the state's EDRS system on or before March 16, 2027. Faster, cleaner certificates are a win — but smaller homes should start mapping their workflow to the electronic process now, not in Q4 2026.
May 6, 2026
Question for anyone close to MDHHS: what's the realistic timeline to stand up EDRS electronic certification statewide before the HB 4077 March 2027 deadline? Is there a pilot, and are rural counties ready? The window looks tight from the outside.