72-17-218. Facilitation of anatomical gift from decedent whose body is under jurisdiction of coroner, medical examiner, or county attorney. (1) Upon request of a procurement organization, a county coroner, medical examiner, or associate medical examiner shall release to the procurement organization the name, contact information, and available medical history of a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of the coroner or medical examiner. If the decedent's body or part is medically suitable for transplantation, therapy, research, or education, the coroner or medical examiner shall release postmortem examination results to the procurement organization. The procurement organization may make a subsequent disclosure of the postmortem examination results or other information received from the coroner or medical examiner only if relevant to transplantation or therapy.

(2) For the purpose of expediting an anatomical gift, the coroner or medical examiner may conduct a medicolegal examination by reviewing all medical records, laboratory test results, x-rays, other diagnostic results, and other information that any person possesses about a donor or prospective donor whose body is under the coroner's or medical examiner's jurisdiction and that the coroner or medical examiner determines may be relevant to the investigation.

(3) A person that has any information requested by a coroner or medical examiner pursuant to subsection (2) shall provide that information as expeditiously as possible to allow the coroner or medical examiner to conduct the medicolegal investigation within a period compatible with the preservation of parts for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education.

(4) If an anatomical gift has been or might be made of a part of a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of a coroner or medical examiner and a postmortem examination is not required or if the coroner or medical examiner determines that a postmortem examination is required but that the recovery of the part that is the subject of an anatomical gift will not interfere with the examination, the coroner or medical examiner and procurement organization shall cooperate in the timely removal of the part from the decedent for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education.

(5) If an anatomical gift of a part from the decedent under the jurisdiction of a coroner, medical examiner, or county attorney has been or might be made but the coroner, medical examiner, or county attorney initially believes that the recovery of the part could interfere with the postmortem investigation into the decedent's cause or manner of death, the collection of evidence, or the description, documentation, or interpretation of injuries on the body, the coroner, medical examiner, or county attorney may consult with the procurement organization or physician or technician designated by the procurement organization about the proposed recovery. After consultation, the coroner, medical examiner, or county attorney may allow the recovery.

(6) If the coroner, medical examiner, county attorney, or designee denies recovery, the person denying recovery shall:

(a) explain in a record the specific reasons for not allowing recovery of the part;

(b) include the specific reasons in the records of the coroner or medical examiner; and

(c) provide a record with the specific reasons to the procurement organization.

(7) If a coroner, medical examiner, county attorney, or designee allows recovery of a part under subsection (4) or (5), the procurement organization, upon request, shall cause the physician or technician who removes the part to provide the requester with a record describing the condition of the part, a biopsy, a photograph, and any other information and observations that would assist in the postmortem examination.

History: En. Sec. 15, Ch. 345, L. 2007.