Arkansas 2023 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1014 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 33 of the Regular Session
3	2		JLL011 11/15/2022 7:46:24 AM JLL011
4	3
5	4		State of Arkansas 1
6	5		94th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	6		Regular Session, 2023 HOUSE BILL 1014 3
8	7		4
9	8		By: Representative Watson 5
10	9		By: Senator K. Hammer 6
11	10		7
12	11		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
13	12		AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE T RAINING AND 9
14	13		INSTRUCTION OF AND E LIGIBILITY REQUIREME NTS FOR 10
15	14		COUNTY CORONERS; TO ALLOW FOR A COUNTY C ORONER TO 11
16	15		RECEIVE ONLINE TRAIN ING; TO EXPAND THE N UMBER OF 12
17	16		APPROVED MEDICOLEGAL DEATH INVESTIGATION TRAINING 13
18	17		COURSES THAT MEET TH E TRAINING REQUIREME NTS FOR 14
19	18		CORONERS; TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WITH A FELONY 15
20	19		CONVICTION IS NOT EL IGIBLE TO BE A DEPUT Y CORONER; 16
21	20		AND FOR OTHER PURPOS ES. 17
22	21		18
23	22		19
24	23		Subtitle 20
25	24		TO ALLOW ONLINE TRAINING FOR COUNTY 21
26	25		CORONERS; TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL 22
27	26		TRAINING COURSES FOR COUNTY CORONERS; AND 23
28	27		TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WITH A FELONY 24
29	28		CONVICTION IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE A DEPUTY 25
30	29		CORONER. 26
31	30		27
32	31		28
33	32		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 29
34	33		30
35	34		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 14-14-1212(a), concerning coroner 31
36	35		medicolegal death investigation training and salary adjustment authorization 32
37	36		for certified county coroners, is amended to read as follows: 33
38	37		(a) As used in this section, “certified county coroner” means a county 34
39	38		coroner who has obtained a certificate of satisfactory participation and 35
40	39		completion of medicolegal death investigation training from the Arkansas 36 HB1014
41	40
42	41		2 11/15/2022 7:46:24 AM JLL011
43	42
44	43
45	44		Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training under § 14-15-308 or a 1
46	45		certificate in medicolegal death investigation from an agency approved by the 2
47	46		American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. 3
48	47		4
49	48		SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 14 -15-308 is amended to read as follows: 5
50	49		14-15-308. Training and instruction — Eligibility of deputy coroner . 6
51	50		(a) The Division of Law Enforcement Standards and Training, in 7
52	51		coordination with the Department of Health, shall establish a training 8
53	52		curriculum for medicolegal death investigators, coroners, and deputy coroners 9
54	53		in Arkansas that consists of no less than sixteen (16) hours nor more than 10
55	54		forty (40) hours of instruction, including without limitation courses on: 11
56	55		(1) Medicolegal death investigation leading to certification as 12
57	56		a medicolegal death investigator; 13
58	57		(2) Scene investigation; 14
59	58		(3) Body recovery; 15
60	59		(4) Safety; 16
61	60		(5) Statutes and rules; 17
62	61		(6) Documentation and reporting; 18
63	62		(7) Communication and interviewing; and 19
64	63		(8) Proper completion of a death certificate and assignment of 20
65	64		cause of death. 21
66	65		(b) The division shall: 22
67	66		(1) Issue a certificate of satisfactory participation and 23
68	67		completion to a coroner, deputy coroner, or medicolegal death investigator 24
69	68		who completes the an instructional program required under subsection (a) of 25
70	69		this section; and 26
71	70		(2)(A) Administer the funds for the payment and reimbursement 27
72	71		for materials, speakers, mileage, lodging, meals, the cost of the 28
73	72		certificate, and training equipment that are in addition to compensation 29
74	73		allowed under §§ 14-14-1203, 14-14-1204, and 14-14-1206. 30
75	74		(B) The division may receive funding for coroner training 31
76	75		through grants-in-aid, donations, and the County Coroners Continuing 32
77	76		Education Fund. 33
78	77		(c) The division: shall 34
79	78		(1) Shall provide death investigation training: 35
80	79		(1)(A) Free of charge to a law enforcement officer, a 36 HB1014
81	80
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83	82
84	83
85	84		state death investigator, and an employee of the State Crime Laboratory; and 1
86	85		(2)(B) For a fee under a memorandum of understanding 2
87	86		between the division and the Arkansas Coroner's Association to coroners and 3
88	87		deputy coroners; and 4
89	88		(2) May provide death investigation training remotely through an 5
90	89		online program. 6
91	90		(d)(1)(A) Within one (1) year of beginning employment as a deputy 7
92	91		coroner, a person employed as a deputy coroner after January 1, 2021, shall 8
93	92		complete: the 9
94	93		(i) The training required under this section and 10
95	94		obtain a certificate under subdivision (b)(1) of this section; or 11
96	95		(ii) A training course in medicolegal death 12
97	96		investigation that meets the educational requirements of the American Board 13
98	97		of Medicolegal Death Investigations and present a certificate in medicolegal 14
99	98		death investigation from an agency approved by the American Board of 15
100	99		Medicolegal Death Investigators. 16
101	100		(B) A deputy coroner under subdivision (d)(1)(A) of this 17
102	101		section who does not comply with this subsection shall not continue 18
103	102		employment or activity as a deputy coroner, including without limitation 19
104	103		signing death certificates or assisting in death investigations. 20
105	104		(2) Within one (1) year of the date of employment of a deputy 21
106	105		coroner, the coroner shall provide the county judge with the deputy 22
107	106		coroner's: 23
108	107		(A) Name; 24
109	108		(B) Address; 25
110	109		(C) Starting date of employment; and 26
111	110		(D) Copy of the certificate under subdivision (d)(1)(A) of 27
112	111		this section. 28
113	112		(e) A person is not eligible to be a deputy coroner if the person has 29
114	113		pleaded guilty or nolo contendere or has been found guilty of a felony even 30
115	114		if the felony conviction has been sealed, expunged, or pardoned. 31
116	115		32
117	116		33
118		-	~~APPROVED: 2/3/23~~ 34
	117	+	34
119	118		35
120	119		36