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