Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §3360-J, sub-§3 is enacted to read:

3.__Certain autopsies.__The expenses of autopsies performed pursuant to Title 22, section 3025, subsection 1, paragraph L must be paid from the Victims' Compensation Fund under section 3360-H.

Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §3025, sub-§1, ¶¶J and K, as repealed and replaced by PL 1985, c. 611, §6, are amended to read:

J. Whenever human or possibly human remains are discovered not properly interred or disposed of, for which the responsibility to do so cannot be readily determined; or

K. Any cause when there is no attending physician capable of certifying the death as due to natural causes. When a person dies who is under the care of a religious practitioner who uses prayer and spiritual means of healing, the fact that the deceased has been under such religious care does not warrant suspicion of foul play or investigation beyond that warranted by the other facts of the case.; or

Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §3025, sub-§1, ¶L is enacted to read:

L.__When the family of a deceased person suspects that the person did not die of natural causes and requests an autopsy by a medical examiner.__When an autopsy is done pursuant to a request under this paragraph, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner must be reimbursed for the expenses of the autopsy from the Victims' Compensation Fund pursuant to Title 5, section 3360-J, subsection 3.

SUMMARY

This bill requires a medical examiner to perform an autopsy when the family of a deceased person suspects that the person did not die of natural causes and requests the autopsy. The bill requires the expenses of such an autopsy to be paid from the Victims' Compensation Fund.