PRINTER'S NO. 1855
No. 1625 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY ROBINSON, MILLER, PETTIT, CURRY, FICHTER, TRUE,
GIGLIOTTI, ROONEY, B. SMITH, EGOLF, FAJT, ARMSTRONG, SAURMAN,
DRUCE, SANTONI, STABACK, TOMLINSON, CIVERA, TRELLO, VEON,
D. W. SNYDER, HENNESSEY AND FARGO, MAY 24, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MAY 24, 1993
AN ACT
1 Requiring coroners and medical examiners to perform autopsies
2 and investigations in certain cases; and requiring review.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Procedure in case of certain deaths.
6 (a) Report and notification.--When a live-born person under
7 the age of three years dies under circumstances in which death
8 is not anticipated or when a live-born person under the age of
9 three years is found dead, cause unknown, that death shall
10 immediately be reported to the coroner or medical examiner of
11 the county in which the person died and an autopsy shall be
12 performed. When the coroner or medical examiner receives notice
13 of the death, the coroner or medical examiner shall inform the
14 parent or legal guardian of the deceased that an autopsy will be
15 performed. The coroner or medical examiner shall notify the
16 parent or legal guardian of the cause of death as soon as
17 possible after the completion of the autopsy.
1 (b) Autopsy and review.--The coroner or medical examiner
2 shall not make a determination of death if the cause of death is
3 unknown, unless an autopsy, including microscopic examination,
4 is performed, an investigation of the death scene is conducted
5 and review of the child's medical history is made. In
6 conjunction with the autopsy, the coroner may take tissue
7 samples for research purposes without consent of the responsible
8 adult, from children one year of age or younger who have died
9 suddenly or unexpectedly, provided that the tissue removal does
10 not result in any visible disfigurement.
11 (c) Filing of the autopsy and investigative report.--The
12 coroner or medical examiner shall file a copy of the autopsy and
13 investigative report with the Department of Health, and the
14 report shall remain confidential.
15 (d) Random review of autopsies and report.--Once a year, a
16 panel shall be convened. The panel shall consist of the
17 Secretary of Health, who shall act as chairman; the Attorney
18 General; the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police; and
19 six members appointed by the Governor representing district
20 attorneys, coroners, pathologists, medical examiners, chiefs of
21 police and pediatricians. The panel shall conduct a random
22 review of a minimum of 20% of the autopsies performed under this
23 act. The panel shall submit a report with its findings and
24 recommendations to the Coroner's Education Board.
25 Section 2. Effective date.
26 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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