West Virginia legislation · 2025 Regular Session
West Virginia HB2358: Relating to postmortem examinations
Status: Passed both chambers, April 25, 2025
The purpose of this bill is to impose deadlines for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to perform an autopsy and provide a copy of the autopsy report.
What the bill says
An act to amend and reenact §61-12-10 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to postmortem examinations; establishing time periods for conducting autopsy; and setting time period for providing report of autopsy to certain individuals. ARTICLE 12. POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS. §61-12-10. When autopsies made and by whom performed; records of date investigated; copies of records and information; reporting requirements. (a) If in the opinion of the chief medical examiner, or of the county medical examiner of the county in which the death in question occurred, it is advisable and in th.
From the enrolled text, April 12, 2025:
AN ACT to amend and reenact §61-12-10 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to postmortem examinations; establishing time periods for conducting autopsy; and setting time period for providing report of autopsy to certain individuals. ARTICLE 12. POSTMORTEM EXAMINATIONS. §61-12-10. When autopsies made and by whom performed; records of date investigated; copies of records and information; reporting requirements. (a) If in the opinion of the chief medical examiner, or of the county medical examiner of the county in which the death in question occurred, it is advisable and in the public interest that an autopsy be made, or if an autopsy is requested by either the prosecuting attorney or the judge of the circuit court or other court of record having criminal jurisdiction in that county, an autopsy shall be conducted by the chief medical examiner or his or her designee, by a member of his or her staff, or by a competent pathologist designated and employed by the chief medical examiner under the provisions of this article. When requested by either the prosecuting attorney or judge of the circuit court or other court of record having criminal jurisdiction in that county, the autopsy shall be conducted within 72 hours of the time the decedent was received by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. For this …