CSHB 301(HSS): "An Act relating to duties and procedures of the state medical examiner and the Department of Health and Social Services."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 301(HSS) 01 "An Act relating to duties and procedures of the state medical examiner and the 02 Department of Health and Social Services." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 12.65.025(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) The state medical examiner shall designate the facilities at which post 06 mortem examinations and autopsies ordered under this chapter may be performed 07 consistent with this section. The Department of Health and Social Services shall pay 08 the costs of 09 (1) post mortem examinations and autopsies ordered under this 10 chapter; 11 (2) related transportation to the location where the post mortem 12 examination is conducted and then to the community closest to where the death 13 occurred, except that transportation costs to another requested location shall [MAY] 14 be paid to the extent that the costs do not exceed the costs that would otherwise have
01 been paid by the department for [OF] returning the body to the community closest 02 to where the death occurred; 03 (3) embalming, if embalming is required by law; and 04 (4) cosmetology necessary to make the head, face, neck, and hands of 05 the deceased presentable if those parts of the body are disfigured by the post mortem 06 examination. 07 * Sec. 2. AS 12.65.025 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 08 (f) The state medical examiner shall designate a location for conducting a post 09 mortem examination that is in the community closest to where the death occurred if 10 (1) the state medical examiner has verified that a facility with adequate 11 technology, personnel, and training is available at the location to enable the state 12 medical examiner to direct a remote examination; 13 (2) the facility meets applicable standards, including inspection and 14 accreditation, for conducting remote post mortem examinations established in the 15 Forensic Autopsy Performance Standards by the National Association of Medical 16 Examiners; and 17 (3) the cost of conducting the examination in the community closest to 18 where the death occurred is less than the cost of conducting the examination or 19 autopsy at another location, including the cost of transporting the body to and from 20 another location to conduct the examination. 21 (g) The Department of Health and Social Services shall provide to a person 22 responsible for the burial of a body written notice describing the duties and procedures 23 of the state medical examiner and the department under this chapter; the notice must 24 explain, in a form and language that is designed to be easy to understand, the 25 availability of 26 (1) an option to release the body after examination and autopsy to a 27 location other than a mortuary without a recommendation or stated preference to do 28 otherwise; 29 (2) the department's coverage of costs associated with the examination 30 or autopsy, transportation of the body, and necessary cosmetology as provided under 31 (a) of this section;
01 (3) clothing and a casket required under (b) of this section; 02 (4) transportation to the community closest to where the death 03 occurred or to another location; 04 (5) a burial-transit permit as provided under AS 18.50.250; and 05 (6) a death certificate as provided under AS 18.50.230. 06 * Sec. 3. AS 18.50.250(a) is amended to read: 07 (a) Except as provided in (e) of this section, the [THE] funeral director or 08 person acting as the funeral director who first assumes custody of a dead body or fetus 09 shall obtain a burial-transit permit before final disposition or removal from the state of 10 the body or fetus and within 72 hours after death, except as otherwise authorized by 11 regulation for special problem cases. 12 * Sec. 4. AS 18.50.280 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 13 (e) The state medical examiner shall obtain the burial-transit permit before a 14 body is transported under AS 12.65.025(a)(2).