Sec. 19a-403. (Formerly Sec. 19-527). Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Fees. Regulations.
Sec. 19a-404. (Formerly Sec. 19-528). Chief Medical Examiner.
Sec. 19a-405. (Formerly Sec. 19-529). Deputy Chief Medical Examiner. Staff.
Sec. 19a-409. (Formerly Sec. 19-533). Issuance of death certificate.
Sec. 19a-403. (Formerly Sec. 19-527). Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Fees. Regulations. (a) The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is established to be operated under the control and supervision of the commission. The expenses of the commission and of operating said office shall be paid by the state out of funds appropriated for the purpose. The office shall be directed by a Chief Medical Examiner who shall be appointed by the commission. The office shall be located at a medical school in this state. The Chief Medical Examiner or any member of the professional staff of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner who is summoned to give expert testimony in a civil action in his or her capacity as the Chief Medical Examiner or a member of the office shall be allowed and paid a witness fee of five hundred dollars for each day or portion thereof the Chief Medical Examiner or such staff member is required to attend court. Such fee shall be taxed as a part of the costs of the action and be paid by the party requesting the appearance, and any such fee received shall be deposited in the General Fund except no fee shall be imposed if the requesting party is the state.
(b) The Commission on Medicolegal Investigations shall prescribe fees to be charged for expert services, including witness and consultation services, provided by the Chief Medical Examiner or any member of the professional staff of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The commission shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 concerning the application and collection of such fees.
(1969, P.A. 699, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 412, S. 1; P.A. 79-47, S. 7; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 12, 117; P.A. 93-237, S. 1, 2; P.A. 23-31, S. 22.)
History: 1971 act replaced office of medicolegal investigations with office of the medical examiner; P.A. 79-47 renamed office as office of chief medical examiner and made technical correction for clarity; Sec. 19-527 transferred to Sec. 19a-403 in 1983; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 added provision establishing fees for the chief medical examiner or staff member to attend court; P.A. 93-237 amended Subsec. (a) to raise witness fee from $300 to $500, to provide the fee be taxed as part of the costs of the action and that the fee not be imposed if requesting party is the state and added new Subsec. (b) permitting the Commission on Medicolegal Investigations to prescribe fees for expert services provided by the office of the chief medical examiner, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 23-31 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 19a-404. (Formerly Sec. 19-528). Chief Medical Examiner. The Chief Medical Examiner shall be a citizen of the United States and a doctor of medicine licensed to practice medicine in Connecticut and shall have had a minimum of four years postgraduate training in pathology, board certification in forensic pathology from the American Board of Pathology and such additional subsequent experience in forensic pathology as the commission may determine, provided any person otherwise qualified who is not licensed to so practice may be appointed Chief Medical Examiner, provided he or she obtains such a license within one year of his or her appointment. The Commission on Medicolegal Investigations shall submit recommendations concerning the Chief Medical Examiner's salary and annual increments to such salary to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for review and approval pursuant to section 4-40. The Chief Medical Examiner's term of office shall be fixed by the commission and the Chief Medical Examiner may be removed by the commission only for cause. Under the direction of the commission, the Chief Medical Examiner shall prepare for transmission to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management as required by law estimates of expenditure requirements. The Chief Medical Examiner shall account to the State Treasurer for all fees and moneys received and expended by him or her by virtue of his or her office. The Chief Medical Examiner may as part of his or her duties teach medical and law school classes, conduct special classes for police investigators and engage in other activities related to the work of the office to such extent and on such terms as may be authorized by the commission. On and after January 1, 2022, the Chief Medical Examiner shall earn at least one contact hour of training or education in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy as part of the continuing medical education he or she is required to obtain pursuant to section 20-10b. As used in this section, “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy” means the death of a person with epilepsy that is not caused by injury, drowning or other known causes unrelated to epilepsy.
(1969, P.A. 699, S. 4; P.A. 96-180, S. 60, 166; P.A. 10-81, S. 1; P.A. 21-26, S. 1; P.A. 23-31, S. 23.)
History: Sec. 19-528 transferred to Sec. 19a-404 in 1983; P.A. 96-180 changed obsolete reference to “director of the budget” to “Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management”, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 10-81 made technical changes and replaced provision authorizing Commission on Medicolegal Investigations to fix Chief Medical Examiner's salary with provision requiring commission to provide salary recommendations to Commissioner of Administrative Services for review and approval, effective May 26, 2010; P.A. 21-26 added provision re Chief Medical Examiner to earn one contact hour of training or education in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy; P.A. 23-31 added “, board certification in forensic pathology from the American Board of Pathology”.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 19a-405. (Formerly Sec. 19-529). Deputy Chief Medical Examiner. Staff. The Chief Medical Examiner, with the approval of the Commission on Medicolegal Investigations, shall appoint a deputy who shall perform all the duties of the Chief Medical Examiner in case of the Chief Medical Examiner's sickness or absence and such associate medical examiners, assistant medical examiners, pathologists, toxicologists, laboratory technicians and other professional staff as the commission may specify. The commission in advance of appointments shall specify the qualifications required for each position in terms of education, experience and other relevant considerations. The commission shall submit recommendations concerning (1) the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner's salary and annual increments to such salary, and (2) the salaries and compensation of other professional staff to the Commissioner of Administrative Services for review and approval pursuant to section 4-40. The Chief Medical Examiner, the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, associate medical examiners, and assistant medical examiners shall take the oath provided by law for public officers. Other staff members as determined by the commission shall be appointed by the Chief Medical Examiner, subject to the provisions of chapter 67 and the rules of the commission not inconsistent therewith.
(1969, P.A. 699, S. 5; P.A. 77-614, S. 67, 610; P.A. 79-47, S. 8; P.A. 96-180, S. 61, 166; P.A. 05-280, S. 82; P.A. 10-81, S. 2; P.A. 23-31, S. 24.)
History: P.A. 77-614 replaced personnel policy board with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 79-47 allowed appointment of associate medical examiners and designated deputy as deputy “chief” medical examiner; Sec. 19-529 transferred to Sec. 19a-405 in 1983; P.A. 96-180 made a technical change, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 05-280 authorized commission to fix Deputy Chief Medical Examiner's annual salary and made a technical change, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 10-81 made technical changes and replaced provision authorizing Commission on Medicolegal Investigations to fix Deputy Chief Medical Examiner's salary with provision requiring commission to provide recommendations for deputy's salary to Commissioner of Administrative Services for review and approval, effective May 26, 2010; P.A. 23-31 made a technical change.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 19a-409. (Formerly Sec. 19-533). Issuance of death certificate. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall complete its investigation where reasonably possible within thirty days. Upon completion of the investigation, the Chief Medical Examiner, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, an associate medical examiner, an authorized assistant medical examiner or a pathologist designated by the Chief Medical Examiner shall file a death certificate, or a certificate supplementing that already filed, with the registrar of vital statistics for the town in which the death occurred, if known, or, if not known, for the town in which the body was found. If the deceased is unidentified, fingerprints, provided mortification has not proceeded so far or the nature of the cause of death was not such as to make identification impossible, shall be sent by said office to the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
(1969, P.A. 699, S. 10; 1971, P.A. 412, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 486, 610; P.A. 79-47, S. 12; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; P.A. 23-31. S. 25.)
History: 1971 act replaced office of medicolegal investigations with office of medical examiner and required completion of investigations “where reasonably possible, within thirty days” rather than “as soon as reasonably possible, but in any event within thirty days”; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services and made state police department a division within the department of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-47 added word “chief” to agency name and gave deputy chief medical examiner, associate medical examiners and designated pathologists power to file death certificate; Sec. 19-533 transferred to Sec. 19a-409 in 1983; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 23-31 deleted “of both hands and a photograph of the body” and “such registrar of vital statistics and copies shall be sent to the Department of Public Health and to”.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |