April 3, 2023 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Health.
SB178,,22An Act to create 979.01 (5) of the statutes; relating to: requiring notification to the medical examiner or coroner of any death that occurs within 24 hours of presentment at or admission to certain facilities. SB178,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in the bill.
SB178,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint Legislative Council Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards.
State law requires a medical examiner or coroner to determine the cause of death for certain types of deaths. Under current law, physicians, authorities of various medical institutions, and other persons having knowledge of a death must report certain types of deaths, including suicide, to the sheriff, police chief, medical examiner, or coroner of the county where the death took place.
This bill creates a requirement to contact a medical examiner or coroner in certain circumstances to determine whether the medical examiner or coroner is required to investigate the death. Specifically, the bill requires that, if a physician, authority, or other person required to report deaths has knowledge of a death that occurred within 24 hours after an individual either has presented at or is admitted to a hospital or similar institution, whichever is earlier, that person with knowledge must contact the medical examiner or coroner to determine whether the death is reportable under the current laws requiring a medical examiner or coroner to investigate certain deaths.
SB178,15Section 1. 979.01 (5) of the statutes is created to read: SB178,,66979.01 (5) If a person specified to report under sub. (1) has knowledge of the death of any individual occurring within 24 hours after that individual either has presented at or is admitted to a hospital or other facility described under sub. (1), whichever is earlier, the person specified to report under sub. (1) shall immediately notify the medical examiner or coroner of the county where the death took place to allow the medical examiner or coroner to determine if the death is reportable under sub. (1).
