HF 2 (LSB 1287YH (3) 91)

HOUSE FILE 2

BY  A. MEYER

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the qualifications of a county medical examiner.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 331.801, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  To serve as a county medical examiner, a person shall be licensed in this state as a doctor of medicine and surgery, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and surgery, or an osteopathic physician, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant. The medical examiner shall be appointed by the board from lists of two or more names submitted by the medical society and, any of its allied medical societies, or the osteopathic society of the county in which the candidate resides. If names are not submitted by either society any of these societies, the board may appoint any licensed physician, osteopathic physician and surgeon, or osteopathic physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant of the county. If a qualified physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant of the county will not serve, the board may appoint a physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant from another county. If a county medical examiner is unable to serve in a particular case or for a period of time, the medical examiner shall promptly notify the chairperson of the board who shall designate some other qualified physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant to serve temporarily.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the qualifications of a person who may serve as a county medical examiner. Under current law, a licensed physician, osteopathic physician and surgeon, or osteopathic physician may be appointed by the county board of supervisors to serve as a county medical examiner. The bill includes advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the list of medical professionals who may be appointed as a county medical examiner.