Signed by Governor Brad Little

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires coroners across Idaho to follow standardized procedures when determining when to perform autopsies and establishes mandatory training requirements before they can begin practicing.

Highlights:

• Requires the county coroner to investigate a death, if the death (Sec. 1):

• Is a suspected homicide, suicide, or occurring under suspicious or unknown circumstances;

• Appears to be accidental or following an injury;

• Was a result of suspected unlawful use of controlled substances or the use or abuse of chemicals or toxic agents;

• Occurred while the person was incarcerated in any jail or correctional facility or the person was a ward of the state;

• Appears to be by disease, injury, or toxic agent during or arising from employment;

• Was an unattended death that occurred outside of a physician’s current care or hospice care; 

• Makes the remains scientifically or visually unidentifiable due to the remains being skeletal or charred;

• Occurred after the individual was admitted to a hospital emergency room unconscious and unresponsive and died within 24 hours of admission unless a physician was present around the deceased 36 hours before admission to the hospital or 30 days before the death if the deceased was diagnosed as terminal or in bedfast condition;

• May constitute a threat to public health; or 

• Is of a child and there is a reasonable suspicion to believe the death occurred without a known medical disease to account for the death.

• Requires the county coroner to perform a medicolegal death investigation along with the sheriff or chief of police from the county or city in which the death occurred (Sec. 1).

• Requires the county coroner to receive a copy of any written report regarding the criminal investigation, upon its completion (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the county coroner to conduct a judicial inquiry into the facts of a case, if the coroner has reasonable grounds to believe the death had one of the circumstances listed in the provisions of this bill (Sec. 1).

• Requires the coroner to summon 6 jurors for their inquest, if the judicial inquiry is to be conducted (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill should not affect the tenets of any church or religious belief (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the coroner to summon a forensic pathologist authorized to practice medicine and surgery in Idaho to inspect the body and give a professional opinion on the cause of death (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes the coroner or prosecuting attorney to order a forensic autopsy, if deemed necessary to determine the cause of death (Sec. 2).

• Requires the coroner to provide written notification to the parent or guardian of any individual under the age of 18 years old at the time of death, including the following information (Sec. 2):

• The autopsy has been ordered; 

• A general description of the autopsy to be performed; and

• A general description of the expected physical appearance of the body after the autopsy.

• Defines the “cause of death” to mean a medical opinion of the disease or injury that resulted in an individual’s death (Sec. 2).

• Defines “forensic autopsy” to mean an internal postmortem examination to discover the cause and manner of death or the extent of disease for criminal justice and public health purposes (Sec. 2).

• Defines “forensic pathologist” to mean a physician who is board-certified in the practice of medicine in which the principles of pathology are applied to problems of potential legal, public health, or public safety concerns (Sec. 2).

• Requires the county coroner to determine or certify the cause and manner of death for deceased individuals within the coroner’s county (Sec. 3).

• Establishes jurisdiction for the coroner over the human remains of deceased individuals to conduct a medicolegal death investigation (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits the coroner or any person acting as both coroner and a licensed funeral director or mortician from making the final disposition of any remains that are to be investigated by the said coroner (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that a violation of the provisions relating to the final disposition of remains in this bill is a misdemeanor (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that the provisions relating to the final disposition of remains in this bill do not apply to coroners in counties where there is only 1 licensed funeral establishment or in counties with a population of less than 20,000 (Sec. 4).

• Repeals previous legislation (Section 31-2809) relating to coroners in Idaho (Sec. 5).

• Requires county coroners to complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years (Sec. 6).

• Requires the Idaho State Association of County Coroners to sponsor or provide courses for the continuing education requirement (Sec. 6). 

• Requires any sponsored or approved courses for the continuing education requirement to be approved by a nationally recognized certifying body (Sec. 6).

• Defines “burial” to mean the interment or entombment of dead human bodies in any manner (Sec. 7).

• Defines "certified"  to mean a procedure by which a third party gives written assurance that a person, product, process, or service conforms to specific requirements (Sec. 7).

• Defines "coroner" to mean an elected or appointed official whose duty is to conduct and oversee medicolegal death investigations, usually for a single county, and ensure certification of cause and manner of death (Sec. 7).

• Defines "cremation" to mean the reduction of human remains to bone fragments in a certified crematory through incineration (Sec. 7).

• Defines "human remains" to mean a lifeless human body or such parts of the human body of which it reasonably may be concluded that death occurred or the body of a deceased person, including (Sec. 7):

• Skeletal remains;

• remains following the process of cremation;

• alkaline hydrolysis; or 

• natural organic reduction.

• Defines "manner of death" to mean a classification system based on the circumstances under which death occurred, including accident, homicide, natural, suicide, and undetermined (Sec. 7).

• Defines "medicolegal death investigator" to mean a person who conducts a medicolegal death investigation (Sec. 7).

• Defines "medicolegal death investigation" means a formal inquiry and examination into the circumstances surrounding the death of a human being in which investigative information is considered with autopsy findings and adjunctive studies to determine the cause and manner of death (Sec. 7).

• Authorizes coroners the ability to appoint deputies and clerical assistants to receive remuneration (Sec. 8).

• Requires county coroners to be elected every 4 years (Sec. 9).

• Requires all county coroners to be (Sec. 9):

• Over the age of 21 years old;

• A citizen of the United States; and

• A resident of the county for at least 1 year before the election.

• Requires candidates for county coroner to file declarations of candidacy with the county clerk (Sec. 9).

• Requires coroner candidates to submit a $40 filing fee at the time of the declaration of candidacy to be deposited in the county treasury (Sec. 9).

• Requires newly elected or appointed coroners to attend a coroner’s school within 1 year of taking office (Sec. 9).

• Establishes a $13 fee to be paid to the state registrar for certified copies of records or a search for files when no copies are made (Sec. 10).

• Establishes a $1 additional fee to be deposited in the state treasurer’s local government investment pool for each certified copy of a death certificate (Sec. 10).

• Specifies that the effective date of this bill is July 1, 2025 (Sec. 11).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires coroners across Idaho to follow standardized procedures when determining when to perform autopsies and establishes mandatory training requirements before they can begin practicing.

Highlights:

• Requires the county coroner to investigate a death, if the death (Sec. 1):

• Is a suspected homicide, suicide, or occurring under suspicious or unknown circumstances;

• Appears to be accidental or following an injury;

• Was a result of suspected unlawful use of controlled substances or the use or abuse of chemicals or toxic agents;

• Occurred while the person was incarcerated in any jail or correctional facility or the person was a ward of the state;

• Appears to be by disease, injury, or toxic agent during or arising from employment;

• Was an unattended death that occurred outside of a physician’s current care or hospice care; 

• Makes the remains scientifically or visually unidentifiable due to the remains being skeletal or charred;

• Occurred after the individual was admitted to a hospital emergency room unconscious and unresponsive and died within 24 hours of admission unless a physician was present around the deceased 36 hours before admission to the hospital or 30 days before the death if the deceased was diagnosed as terminal or in bedfast condition;

• May constitute a threat to public health; or 

• Is of a child and there is a reasonable suspicion to believe the death occurred without a known medical disease to account for the death.

• Requires the county coroner to perform a medicolegal death investigation along with the sheriff or chief of police from the county or city in which the death occurred (Sec. 1).

• Requires the county coroner to receive a copy of any written report regarding the criminal investigation, upon its completion (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the county coroner to conduct a judicial inquiry into the facts of a case, if the coroner has reasonable grounds to believe the death had one of the circumstances listed in the provisions of this bill (Sec. 1).

• Requires the coroner to summon 6 jurors for their inquest, if the judicial inquiry is to be conducted (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill should not affect the tenets of any church or religious belief (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the coroner to summon a forensic pathologist authorized to practice medicine and surgery in Idaho to inspect the body and give a professional opinion on the cause of death (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes the coroner or prosecuting attorney to order a forensic autopsy, if deemed necessary to determine the cause of death (Sec. 2).

• Requires the coroner to provide written notification to the parent or guardian of any individual under the age of 18 years old at the time of death, including the following information (Sec. 2):

• The autopsy has been ordered; 

• A general description of the autopsy to be performed; and

• A general description of the expected physical appearance of the body after the autopsy.

• Defines the “cause of death” to mean a medical opinion of the disease or injury that resulted in an individual’s death (Sec. 2).

• Defines “forensic autopsy” to mean an internal postmortem examination to discover the cause and manner of death or the extent of disease for criminal justice and public health purposes (Sec. 2).

• Defines “forensic pathologist” to mean a physician who is board-certified in the practice of medicine in which the principles of pathology are applied to problems of potential legal, public health, or public safety concerns (Sec. 2).

• Requires the county coroner to determine or certify the cause and manner of death for deceased individuals within the coroner’s county (Sec. 3).

• Establishes jurisdiction for the coroner over the human remains of deceased individuals to conduct a medicolegal death investigation (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits the coroner or any person acting as both coroner and a licensed funeral director or mortician from making the final disposition of any remains that are to be investigated by the said coroner (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that a violation of the provisions relating to the final disposition of remains in this bill is a misdemeanor (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that the provisions relating to the final disposition of remains in this bill do not apply to coroners in counties where there is only 1 licensed funeral establishment or in counties with a population of less than 20,000 (Sec. 4).

• Repeals previous legislation (Section 31-2809) relating to coroners in Idaho (Sec. 5).

• Requires county coroners to complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years (Sec. 6).

• Requires the Idaho State Association of County Coroners to sponsor or provide courses for the continuing education requirement (Sec. 6). 

• Requires any sponsored or approved courses for the continuing education requirement to be approved by a nationally recognized certifying body (Sec. 6).

• Defines “burial” to mean the interment or entombment of dead human bodies in any manner (Sec. 7).

• Defines "certified"  to mean a procedure by which a third party gives written assurance that a person, product, process, or service conforms to specific requirements (Sec. 7).

• Defines "coroner" to mean an elected or appointed official whose duty is to conduct and oversee medicolegal death investigations, usually for a single county, and ensure certification of cause and manner of death (Sec. 7).

• Defines "cremation" to mean the reduction of human remains to bone fragments in a certified crematory through incineration (Sec. 7).

• Defines "human remains" to mean a lifeless human body or such parts of the human body of which it reasonably may be concluded that death occurred or the body of a deceased person, including (Sec. 7):

• Skeletal remains;

• remains following the process of cremation;

• alkaline hydrolysis; or 

• natural organic reduction.

• Defines "manner of death" to mean a classification system based on the circumstances under which death occurred, including accident, homicide, natural, suicide, and undetermined (Sec. 7).

• Defines "medicolegal death investigator" to mean a person who conducts a medicolegal death investigation (Sec. 7).

• Defines "medicolegal death investigation" means a formal inquiry and examination into the circumstances surrounding the death of a human being in which investigative information is considered with autopsy findings and adjunctive studies to determine the cause and manner of death (Sec. 7).

• Authorizes coroners the ability to appoint deputies and clerical assistants to receive remuneration (Sec. 8).

• Requires county coroners to be elected every 4 years (Sec. 9).

• Requires all county coroners to be (Sec. 9):

• Over the age of 21 years old;

• A citizen of the United States; and

• A resident of the county for at least 1 year before the election.

• Requires candidates for county coroner to file declarations of candidacy with the county clerk (Sec. 9).

• Requires coroner candidates to submit a $40 filing fee at the time of the declaration of candidacy to be deposited in the county treasury (Sec. 9).

• Requires newly elected or appointed coroners to attend a coroner’s school within 1 year of taking office (Sec. 9).

• Establishes a $13 fee to be paid to the state registrar for certified copies of records or a search for files when no copies are made (Sec. 10).

• Establishes a $1 additional fee to be deposited in the state treasurer’s local government investment pool for each certified copy of a death certificate (Sec. 10).

• Specifies that the effective date of this bill is July 1, 2025 (Sec. 11).

Full Bill Text