Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB187

Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/20/23
• Refer: 4/20/23
• Report Pass: 10/19/23
• Refer: 10/19/23
• Failed: 4/15/24

Caption

Requiring the Department of Health Services to establish and encourage best practices for coroners and medical examiners.

Impact

If passed, AB187 would require the DHS to develop best practices for completing medical certifications and conducting investigations of reportable deaths. This could lead to improved accuracy in death reporting and records, potentially impacting various aspects of public health policy and data collection on mortality statistics. By standardizing practices across the state, the bill seeks to create a more uniform approach to how death investigations are conducted and recorded, aiding in public health metrics.

Summary

Assembly Bill 187 aims to enhance the medical certification processes regarding deaths in Wisconsin by requiring the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish and promote best practices for coroners and medical examiners. The bill is guided by input from relevant organizations, such as groups representing coroners and medical examiners and forensic pathologists. It emphasizes the need for standardized procedures to ensure consistency and reliability in reporting causes of death and other related medical data.

Contention

While the bill promotes a structured methodology and aims to improve public health data integrity, it may also raise concerns regarding the autonomy of local jurisdictions. Some stakeholders may view the imposition of standardized practices as limiting their capacity to apply local specificities in death investigations. The effectiveness of such measures also requires adequate resources and training, which could be points of contention among legislative discussions.