EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0373*
HOUSE BILL 373
J1 2lr1491
By: Delegate Reznik
Introduced and read first time: January 19, 2022
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Postmortem Examiners Commission – Minimum Staffing Requirements 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Postmortem Examiners Commission to ensure that 3
the number of staff employed by the Commission does not fall to a level that would 4
constitute a Phase II violation according to the National Association of Medical 5
Examiners; and generally relating to the State Postmortem Examiners Commission. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Health – General 8
Section 5–305(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Health – General 14
5–305. 15
(a) (1) The Commission may employ a staff in accordance with the State 16
budget for the operation of the Commission and to maintain accreditation. 17
(2) The staff shall include: 18
(i) 1 chief medical examiner; 19
(ii) 2 deputy chief medical examiners; 20
(iii) Assistant medical examiners; 21
2 HOUSE BILL 373
(iv) 1 chief State toxicologist, 1 deputy chief State toxicologist, lead 1
toxicologists, and assistant toxicologists; 2
(v) 1 serologist; 3
(vi) 4 resident medical doctors who are training in forensic pathology; 4
(vii) 1 chief forensic investigator, 2 deputy chief forensic 5
investigators, lead forensic investigators, and assistant forensic investigators; and 6
(viii) 1 autopsy services supervisor, 1 deputy supervisor, lead autopsy 7
technicians, and assistant autopsy technicians. 8
(3) The Commission may employ any physician on a contract basis for 9
part–time services. 10
(4) THE COMMISSION SHALL ENSURE THAT TH E NUMBER OF STAFF 11
EMPLOYED BY THE COMMISSION DOES NOT FALL TO A L EVEL THAT WOULD 12
CONSTITUTE A PHASE II VIOLATION ACC ORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 13
OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS. 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
October 1, 2022. 16