Oklahoma Senate Bill SB301

Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/1/21
• Refer: 2/2/21

Caption

Medicolegal investigations; directing Chief Medical Examiner to conduct certain review and submit recommendations. Effective date.

Impact

The proposed changes in SB301 could significantly influence state laws surrounding medicolegal investigations. By authorizing the Chief Medical Examiner to evaluate current practices, it opens the door to revisions that may streamline procedures or eliminate redundant requirements while ensuring that due diligence in investigations remains intact. If the recommendations lead to reform, it might ease the operational load on funeral directors and law enforcement while maintaining compliance with state laws.

Summary

Senate Bill 301, introduced by Senator Bergstrom, focuses on the requirement for medicolegal investigations in Oklahoma. The bill directs the Chief Medical Examiner to conduct a review of the current necessity for requiring such investigations before a body is transported out of state. The review aims to assess whether there is a need to modify or eliminate this requirement and will culminate in recommendations to the state legislature and the Governor by November 1, 2022. This legislation seeks to update the protocol regarding how deceased bodies are managed when leaving the state, ensuring that relevant processes are not overly burdensome.

Contention

While the bill seeks to clarify and possibly ease the processes involved in transporting bodies out of state, potential points of contention may arise regarding the implications of relaxing investigation requirements. Advocates for thorough investigations may voice concerns that reducing the number of cases requiring such scrutiny could hinder law enforcement's ability to properly examine unusual or suspicious deaths. Therefore, the balance between efficiency and thoroughness in medicolegal processes will likely be a central theme in discussions surrounding this bill.