HLS 15RS-705 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 627
BY REPRESENTATIVE BARROW
CORONERS: Provides relative to services provided by coroners
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 13:5706(A) and (B)(2) and (3) and 5710, relative to coroners;
3 to authorize an increase in fees for specific services; to eliminate fees relative to
4 assisting physicians; to require each parish to provide suitable quarters for the
5 coroner's office and decedent storage; to provide relative to autopsy fees and expert
6 fees; and to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 13:5706(A) and (B)(2) and (3) and 5710 are hereby amended and
9reenacted to read as follows:
10 §5706. Fees for coroner's services
11 A.(1) The coroner shall receive:
12 (a) For every investigation, including issuing necessary papers and reports,
13 fifty one hundred dollars.
14 (b) For viewing bodies, fifty one hundred dollars.
15 (c) For the performance of an autopsy, a fee of not less than two hundred
16 fifty dollars nor more than three hundred dollars, at the discretion of the governing
17 authority of the parish or municipality, and the cost of any laboratory tests actually
18 incurred.
19 (d) For attendance or testimony in any case in court in and matters arising
20 from his official duties, seventy-five dollars per day per case two hundred fifty
21 dollars per hour.
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1 (e)(d) A fee of fifty one hundred dollars for papers issued in each interdiction
2 case or commitment of mental or incompetent case.
3 (2) The attending or assisting physicians in interdiction or commitment cases
4 shall also receive a fee of fifty dollars.
5 (3) The coroner shall receive a reasonable fee or compensation, as agreed to
6 by the coroner and the governing authority of the parish or municipality, for any
7 physical or mental examination or investigation when requested by the district
8 attorney, any judge, sheriff, chief of police, or by any responsible citizen or resident
9 when acting in good faith in an emergency and in the furtherance of the public good
10 and safety.
11 (4)(3) These amounts shall be in addition to any necessary expenses that may
12 be incurred.
13 (5)(4) The provisions of this Subsection shall only apply to coroners on a fee
14 basis.
15 (6)(5) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, the
16 affirmative approval of the governing authority of the parish or municipality shall
17 be required for the coroner to charge more than two hundred fifty dollars for the
18 performance of an autopsy. In addition, the The affirmative approval of the
19 governing authority of the parish or municipality shall be required for the coroner to
20 charge for any expense, tests, costs, or other fees, when the charge for such expenses,
21 tests, costs, or other fees exceed the maximum charges established in the coroner's
22 annual fee schedule. In such fee schedule, the coroner shall list all fees for which a
23 charge of fifty one hundred dollars is authorized by law. Such schedule shall be filed
24 with the governing authority of each affected parish or municipality not later than the
25 last day of January of each year.
26 B.
27 * * *
28 (2) When Suitable quarters for the coroner's office or a morgue are and
29 decedent storage shall be established by the parish, within government owned or
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1 leased facilities and the parish shall furnish essential supplies and equipment for the
2 office or morgue.
3 (3) The parish shall pay the fees for all mental or physical examinations or
4 investigations, commitments, interdictions, court attendance, or testimony and a just
5 fee or remuneration for attending parish prisoners.
6 * * *
7 §5710. Coroner's experts; fees
8 The coroner may contract with any competent physician or other expert to
9 assist in the conduct of an investigation or autopsy. The physician or other expert,
10 upon the certificate of the coroner, shall be paid by the parish or municipality such
11 compensation for his services. as shall be mutually agreed upon by the coroner and
12 governing authority of the parish or municipality responsible for the expenses of the
13 investigation or autopsy. However, such compensation, including any expenses,
14 tests, costs, or fees, shall not exceed the sum of five hundred dollars, unless
15 otherwise mutually agreed upon by the coroner and the chief executive officer or
16 chief fiscal officer of the parish or municipality. The fees of such examinations,
17 analyses, or tests shall not exceed those customarily charged in other similarly
18 qualified instances.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 627 Original 2015 Regular Session Barrow
Abstract: Authorizes an increase in coroner's fees for certain services and requires each
parish to establish suitable quarters for the coroner's office and decedent storage.
Present law provides for certain fees a coroner may collect relative to duties as coroner.
Proposed law retains present law but provides for an increase in coroner's fees as follows:
(1)For investigations, from $50 to $100.
(2)For viewing bodies, from $50 to $100.
(3)For attendance or testimony in any case in court and matters arising from official
duties, from $75 per day per case to $250 per hour.
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(4)For papers issued in each interdiction case or commitment of mental or incompetent
case, from $50 to $100.
Present law requires that each parish furnish essential supplies and equipment for the
coroner's office or morgue once quarters for an office or morgue have been established.
Proposed law requires that suitable quarters with necessary supplies and equipment for each
coroner's office and decedent storage be established by the respective parish within
government owned or leased facilities.
Present law authorizes a just fee or remuneration for attending parish prisoners.
Proposed law deletes present law.
Present law provides for an autopsy fee of $250-$300 and requires the approval of the
governing authority of the parish and municipality to charge more than $250 for an autopsy.
Further requires the coroner to list all fees for which a charge of $50 is authorized by law
in a schedule to be filed annually with the governing authority.
Proposed law deletes the monetary limits which can be charged for an autopsy and be
included on the schedule submitted annually from $50 to $100.
Present law authorizes the coroner to contract with any competent physician or expert to
assist in conducting an investigation or autopsy but limits the fees of any physician or expert
to $500 unless mutually agreed upon by the coroner and the chief executive officer or chief
fiscal officer of the parish or municipality.
Proposed law maintains present law except that it changes the expert provisions from a limit
of $500 to those customarily charged in other similarly qualified instances.
(Amends R.S. 13:5706(A) and (B)(2) and (3) and 5710)
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