Text: SF00355 Text: SF00357 Text: SF00300 - SF00399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 331.802, subsection 3, paragraphs g, h,
1 2 and i, Code 2003, are amended to read as follows:
1 3 g. Death of a person who was prediagnosed as a terminal or
1 4 bedfast case who did not have a physician in attendance within
1 5 the preceding thirty days; or death of a person who was
1 6 admitted to and had received services from a hospice program
1 7 as defined in section 135J.1, if a physician or registered
1 8 nurse employed by the program was not in attendance within
1 9 thirty days preceding death. Unless after completion of the
1 10 preliminary investigation the county medical examiner
1 11 determines that the public interest requires an autopsy
1 12 because the investigation indicated the death may be connected
1 13 to a criminal act or omission or there is another public
1 14 interest reason for an autopsy, an autopsy shall not be
1 15 required.
1 16 h. Death of a person if the body is not claimed by a
1 17 relative or friend. Unless after completion of the
1 18 preliminary investigation the county medical examiner
1 19 determines that the public interest requires an autopsy
1 20 because the investigation indicated the death may be connected
1 21 to a criminal act or omission or there is another public
1 22 interest reason for an autopsy, an autopsy shall not be
1 23 required.
1 24 i. Death of a person if the identity of the deceased is
1 25 unknown. Unless after completion of the preliminary
1 26 investigation the county medical examiner determines that the
1 27 public interest requires an autopsy because the investigation
1 28 indicated the death may be connected to a criminal act or
1 29 omission or there is another public interest reason for an
1 30 autopsy, an autopsy shall not be required.
1 31 Sec. 2. Section 331.802, subsection 4, Code 2003, is
1 32 amended to read as follows:
1 33 4. a. The county medical examiner shall conduct the
1 34 investigation in the manner required by the state medical
1 35 examiner and shall determine whether the public interest
2 1 requires an autopsy or other special investigation. However,
2 2 if the death occurred in the manner specified in subsection 3,
2 3 paragraph "j", the county medical examiner shall order an
2 4 autopsy, the expense of which shall be reimbursed by the Iowa
2 5 department of public health.
2 6 b. In determining the need for an autopsy, the county
2 7 medical examiner may consider the request for an autopsy from
2 8 a public official or private person, but the state medical
2 9 examiner or the county attorney of the county where the death
2 10 occurred may require an autopsy. If the county medical
2 11 examiner did not determine following the preliminary
2 12 investigation that the public interest requires an autopsy but
2 13 an autopsy is performed pursuant to the request of a private
2 14 person, the costs of the autopsy shall be paid by the private
2 15 person.
2 16 EXPLANATION
2 17 This bill restricts the performance of autopsies in certain
2 18 cases unless the county medical examiner determines a death
2 19 affects the public interest and provides for financial
2 20 responsibility for certain autopsies requested by a private
2 21 individual.
2 22 Current law in Code section 331.802 includes a list of
2 23 death circumstances identifying types of deaths which affect
2 24 the public interest. A death of the type included in the list
2 25 is subject to a preliminary investigation and submission of
2 26 various reports by the county medical examiner.
2 27 The bill provides that unless after completion of the
2 28 preliminary investigation the county medical examiner
2 29 determines that the public interest requires an autopsy
2 30 because the investigation indicated the death may be connected
2 31 to a criminal act or omission or there is another public
2 32 interest reason for an autopsy, an autopsy shall not be
2 33 required for any of the following: death of a person who was
2 34 prediagnosed as a terminal or bedfast case who did not have a
2 35 physician in attendance within the preceding 30 days; death of
3 1 a person who was admitted to and had received services from a
3 2 hospice program as defined in Code section 135J.1, if a
3 3 physician or registered nurse employed by the program was not
3 4 in attendance within 30 days preceding death; death of a
3 5 person if the body is not claimed by a relative or friend; and
3 6 death of a person if the identity of the deceased is unknown.
3 7 Under current law, the county medical examiner may consider
3 8 the request of a public official or private individual in
3 9 determining the need for an autopsy. The bill provides if an
3 10 autopsy is performed pursuant to a request from a private
3 11 individual for a death for which the county medical examiner
3 12 has not determined that the death affects the public interest,
3 13 the costs of the autopsy shall be paid by the private person.
3 14 LSB 2568SV 80
3 15 jp/pj/5
Text: SF00355 Text: SF00357 Text: SF00300 - SF00399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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