PRINTER'S NO. 857
No. 793 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY MURPHY, ROSS, ORLANDO, STAUFFER AND EWING,
JUNE 10, 1975
REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JUNE 10, 1975
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), entitled
2 "An act relating to counties of the third, fourth, fifth,
3 sixth, seventh and eighth classes; amending, revising,
4 consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto,"
5 authorizing an autopsy as a part of the coroner's
6 investigation and repealing a provision that requires the
7 president judge to set the physician's fee in certain
8 counties.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. Section 1238, act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323,
12 No.130), known as "The County Code," is amended to read:
13 Section 1238. Inquest; Autopsy; Coroner's Duties; Records.--
14 If, upon the investigation by the coroner, he shall not be
15 satisfied thereby that the death resulted from natural causes,
16 or by suicide, he shall proceed to conduct an inquest upon a
17 view of the body as provided by law. [In the conduct of the
18 inquest] As a part of the investigation, the coroner may with
19 approval of the appropriate court require such an autopsy as may
20 be necessary in accordance with law. At the inquest the
21 coroner's duty shall be to ascertain the cause of death and
1 whether any person other than the deceased was criminally
2 responsible therefor by act or neglect, and, if so, the identity
3 of the person and any further evidence and witnesses regarding
4 the crime. The proceedings at the inquest shall be recorded, at
5 the expense of the county, in a manner to be provided by the
6 county commissioners, and any salary that may be required for
7 this purpose shall be fixed by the salary board.
8 Section 2. The act of July 22, 1919 (P.L.1113, No.450),
9 entitled "An act relating to coroners and the holding of post-
10 mortems in the several counties of this Commonwealth having a
11 population of not more than fifty thousand inhabitants, and
12 providing for the payment of the physician or surgeon making the
13 post-mortem examination," is repealed.
14 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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