Section 12.65.005. Duty to notify state medical examiner.

   (a) Unless the person has reasonable grounds to believe that notice has already been given, a person who attends a death or has knowledge of a death, in addition to notifying a peace officer, shall immediately notify the state medical examiner when the death appears to have
        (1) been caused by unknown or criminal means, during the commission of a crime, or by suicide, accident, or poisoning;
        (2) occurred under suspicious or unusual circumstances or occurred suddenly when the decedent was in apparent good health;
        (3) been unattended by a practicing physician or occurred less than 24 hours after the deceased was admitted to a medical facility;
        (4) been associated with a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure;
        (5) resulted from a disease that constitutes a threat to public health;
        (6) been caused by a disease, injury, or toxic agent resulting from employment;
        (7) occurred in a jail or corrections facility owned or operated by the state or a political subdivision of the state or in a facility for the placement of persons in the custody or under the supervision of the state;
        (8) occurred in a foster home;
        (9) occurred in a mental institution or mental health treatment facility;
        (10) occurred while the deceased was in the custody of, or was being taken into the custody of, the state or a political subdivision of the state or a public officer or agent of the state or a political subdivision of the state; or
        (11) been of a child under 18 years of age or under the legal custody of the Department of Health and Social Services, subject to the jurisdiction of AS 47.10 or AS 47.12, unless the
             (A) child's death resulted from a natural disease process and was medically expected; and
             (B) the child was under supervised medical care during the 24 hours before the death.
   (b) A person who attends a death or has knowledge of a death occurring in circumstances other than those enumerated in (a) of this section may notify the state medical examiners of the death if, in the person's opinion, a death investigation under AS 12.65.020 - 12.65.025 may be appropriate.
   (c) The body of a person whose death has been or should be reported to the state medical examiner under this section may not be moved or otherwise disturbed without the permission of the state medical examiner.

Authorities

12.65.007;12.65.020

Notes

References

AS 12.65.007 No duty for peace officer to respond to the scene of an expected home death.
AS 12.65.020 Medical death investigations.

History

(Sec. 2 ch 103 SLA 1996; am Sec. 8 ch 99 SLA 1998)