HB 375 -- COUNTY CORONERS

                      (Vetoed by the Governor)

This bill makes several changes to the laws regarding coroners. The bill:

(1) Clarifies that when a person dies while being transferred for medical treatment or is being treated in an emergency room of a receiving facility, the county or state from which the person is first removed is considered to be the place of death and the coroner of that county or state is responsible for the certificate of death. Notification of a county coroner is also necessary when certain institutionalized persons die after being transferred to an institution in another county. If the coroner in the county where the person died believes further investigation is warranted, the coroner may investigate with authorization from the transferring county coroner;

(2) Requires emergency room staff or a county coroner to notify the transferring county coroner when a death occurs during transfer and to make information and records available for any investigation; and

(3) Makes the county of origin of a deceased person responsible for any investigation in the case of homicide, suicide, child fatality, or any unusual or suspicious death.