AB783: Bill Text

AB783,11,11 69.18 (4) (b) Except as provided in s. 157.112 (3), no person may disinter a human corpse from a grave or tomb without first obtaining a disinterment permit under par. (c) or (d).

AB783, s. 15 Section 15. 69.18 (4) (bm) of the statutes is repealed.

AB783, s. 16 Section 16. 69.18 (4) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,11,18 69.18 (4) (d) Subject to s. 157.111, the coroner or medical examiner of the county in which a decedent's corpse is interred shall issue a disinterment permit, on a form prescribed by the board on medicolegal investigations, upon receipt of a written application for disinterment that is made and signed by a decedent's representative and signed by the person in charge of disinterment if all of the following apply:

AB783,11,20 1. No decedent's representative who is of a member of prior class under par. (am) is available at the time the application is made.

AB783,11,22 2. The coroner or medical examiner does not have actual notice that the deceased would have opposed the disinterment.

AB783,11,25 3. The coroner or medical examiner does not have actual notice of opposition to disinterment by a decedent's representative who is a member of the same or a prior class under par. (am) as the applicant.

AB783,12,2 4. The applicant provides proof of intent to cremate the decedent's corpse or to lawfully inter the decedent' s corpse in a specified burial place.

AB783, s. 17 Section 17. 69.18 (4) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,12,5 69.18 (4) (e) No person may cremate a corpse disintered under this subsection without obtaining a cremation release under s. 979.10 (1) (ag).

AB783, s. 18 Section 18. 69.18 (4) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,12,9 69.18 (4) (f) Except as provided in s. 157.112 (3), no person may disinter a decedent's cremated remains from a cemetery unless all of the following conditions are satisfied:

AB783,12,10 1. The cemetery authority, or its designee, consents to disinterment.

AB783,12,13 2. A decedent's representative consents to disinterment and no other decedent's representative who is a member of the same or a prior class under par. (am) objects to disinterment.

AB783, s. 19 Section 19. 69.20 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,12,17 69.20 (2) (a) 2. For a certificate of death, any of the persons specified under s. 69.18 (4) (a) (am) 1. to 6. or an individual who is authorized in writing by one of the persons.

AB783, s. 20 Section 20. 157.02 (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the statutes are renumbered 157.02 (1m) (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), and 157.02 (1m) (b) and (e), as renumbered, are amended to read:

AB783,12,25 157.02 (1m) (b) Time allowed relative to act. If a relative or friend fails to arrange for taking charge of the corpse within a reasonable time after death, the superintendent or other officer may proceed as provided in this section subsection, but relatives or friends may claim the corpse at any time before it has been delivered pursuant to sub. (3) par. (c).

AB783,13,2 (e) Other disposition. If the corpse is not disposed of under subs. (1) to (4) pars. (a) to (d), the superintendent or public officer shall properly bury it.

AB783, s. 21 Section 21. 157.02 (1m) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,13,4 157.02 (1m) (title) Disposition of inmate's remains.

AB783, s. 22 Section 22. 157.02 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,13,15 157.02 (2m) Disposition of other unclaimed remains. (a) If a person, other than a person who has responsibility to dispose of a corpse under sub. (1m), has the corpse of a deceased individual and cannot by exercise of reasonable effort locate the deceased's representative, as defined in s. 979.001 (1), or the deceased's representative refuses to claim the corpse for disposition, the person shall notify the coroner or medical examiner in the county in which the corpse is located, and the coroner or medical examiner shall take custody of the corpse and cause the corpse to be decently buried or cremated. The county shall pay costs of burial or cremation under this paragraph with funds other than funds appropriated for the operation of the coroner's or medical examiner's office.

AB783,13,22 (b) A coroner or medical is immune from civil liability for his or her choice of method for disposing of an unidentified corpse under this subsection if the coroner or medical examiner made reasonable efforts to identify the corpse. A coroner or medical examiner is immune from civil liability for his or her choice of method for disposing of an unclaimed corpse under this subsection if the coroner or medical examiner made reasonable efforts to notify the deceased's representative of the disposal of the corpse.

AB783, s. 23 Section 23. 157.03 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,14,3 157.03 (1) The corpse of a person who died with smallpox, diphtheria, or scarlet fever, or who in his or her last sickness shall request to be buried or cremated, and of a stranger or traveler who suddenly died, shall not be disposed of under s. 157.02 (3) (1m) (c), and no person having charge of a corpse authorized to be so disposed of shall sell or deliver it to be used outside the state.

AB783, s. 24 Section 24. 157.03 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,14,8 157.03 (2) Upon receipt of the corpse by a university or school pursuant to s. 157.02 (3) (1m) (c) it shall be properly embalmed and retained for 3 months before being used or dismembered and shall be delivered to any relative claiming it upon satisfactory proof of relationship.

AB783, s. 25 Section 25. 157.055 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,14,14 157.055 (2) (intro.) Notwithstanding ss. 69.18 (4), 157.113, 445.04 (2), 445.14, 979.01 (3), (3m), and (4), 979.02, and 979.025 (2), 979.027, 979.10, and 979.105, and subch. VI of ch. 440, during a period of a state of emergency related to public health declared by the governor under s. 166.03 (1) (b) 1., a public health authority may do all of the following:

AB783, s. 26 Section 26. 157.113 (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,14,17 157.113 (title) Permission required to deposit cremated remains in cemetery.

AB783, s. 27 Section 27. 157.70 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,14,22 157.70 (3) (a) Except as provided under s. 979.01, a A person shall immediately notify the director if the person knows or has reasonable grounds to believe that a burial site or the cataloged land contiguous to a cataloged burial site is being disturbed or may be disturbed contrary to the requirements of subs. (4) and (5).

AB783, s. 28 Section 28. 165.50 (4) of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,15,3 165.50 (4) The attorney general may order and represent the state in an inquest as provided under s. 979.04 (1) or may order a preliminary investigation into a death as provided under s. 979.04 (3).

AB783, s. 29 Section 29. 165.65 of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,15,6 165.65 Board on medicolegal investigations. The board on medicolegal investigations shall do all of the following:

AB783,15,8 (1) Promulgate rules establishing testing and training requirements for coroners, deputy coroners, medical examiners, and medical examiners' assistants.

AB783,15,10 (2) If a coroner does not satisfy the testing and training requirements for coroners under sub. (1), notify the governor and the appropriate county board.

AB783,15,12 (3) If a medical examiner does not satisfy the training and testing requirement for medical examiners under sub. (1), notify the appropriate county board.

AB783,15,14 (4) Promulgate rules establishing standards for the content and maintenance of coroner and medical examiner death investigation records under s. 979.032.

AB783,15,16 (5) Promulgate rules regarding public access to coroner and medical examiner death investigation records under s. 979.032.

AB783,15,18 (6) Create a form that coroners and medical examiners shall use to issue permits for disinterment or reinterment under s. 69.18 (4).

AB783, s. 30 Section 30. 346.71 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,16,18 346.71 (2) In cases of death involving a motor vehicle in which the decedent was the operator of a motor vehicle, a pedestrian 14 years of age or older or a bicycle or electric personal assistive mobility device operator 14 years of age or older and who died within 6 hours of the time of the accident, the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the death occurred shall require that a blood specimen of at least 10 cc. be withdrawn from the body of the decedent within 12 hours after his or her death, by the coroner or medical examiner or by a physician so designated by the coroner or medical examiner or by a qualified person at the direction of the physician. All funeral directors shall obtain a release from the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the accident occurred as provided in s. 979.01 (4) 979.105 prior to proceeding with embalming any body coming under the scope of this section. The blood so drawn shall be forwarded to a laboratory approved by the department of health and family services for analysis of the alcoholic content of the blood specimen. The coroner or medical examiner causing the blood to be withdrawn shall be notified of the results of each analysis made and shall forward the results of each such analysis to the department of health and family services. If the death involved a motor vehicle, the department shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved. If the death involved an all-terrain vehicle, the department of natural resources shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department of natural resources shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved.

AB783, s. 31 Section 31. 440.78 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,16,21 440.78 (1) (b) A copy of the cremation permit release issued under s. 979.10 (1) (a) (ag).

AB783, s. 32 Section 32. 979.001 of the statutes is created to read:

AB783,16,23 979.001 Definitions. In this chapter:

AB783,16,25 (1) "Deceased's representative" means any member of the following classes of individuals, in the order of priority listed:

AB783,17,1 (a) The deceased's spouse.

AB783,17,2 (b) An adult son or daughter of the deceased.

AB783,17,3 (c) A parent of the deceased.

AB783,17,4 (d) An adult brother or sister of the deceased.

AB783,17,5 (e) A person appointed as such by the circuit court.

AB783,17,6 (2) "Event" includes a sudden unexplained collapse.

AB783,17,7 (3) "Health care provider" means all of the following:

AB783,17,8 (a) A midwife licensed under subch. XII of ch 440.

AB783,17,9 (b) A nurse licensed under ch. 441.

AB783,17,10 (c) A chiropractor licensed under ch. 446.

AB783,17,11 (d) A dentist licensed under ch. 447.

AB783,17,13 (e) A physician, physician assistant, or respiratory care practitioner licensed or certified under subch. II of ch. 448.

AB783,17,14 (f) A physical therapist licensed under subch. III of ch. 448.

AB783,17,15 (g) A podiatrist licensed under subch. IV of ch. 448.

AB783,17,16 (h) A dietitian certified under subch. V of ch. 448.

AB783,17,17 (i) An athletic trainer licensed under subch. VI of ch. 448.

AB783,17,19 (j) An occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant licensed under subch. VII of ch. 448.

AB783,17,20 (k) An optometrist licensed under ch. 449.

AB783,17,21 (L) A pharmacist licensed under ch. 450.

AB783,17,22 (m) An acupuncturist certified under ch. 451.

AB783,17,23 (n) A psychologist licensed under ch. 455.

AB783,17,25 (o) A social worker, marriage and family therapist, or professional counselor certified or licensed under ch. 457.

AB783,18,3 (p) A speech-language pathologist or audiologist licensed under subch. II of ch. 459 or a speech and language pathologist licensed by the department of public instruction.

AB783,18,4 (q) A massage therapist or bodyworker certified under ch. 460.

AB783,18,5 (4) "Law enforcement agency" has the meaning given in s. 165.83 (1) (b).

AB783,18,8 (5) "Therapeutic misadventure" means an unintended medical error made by a health care provider or an unexpected mechanical failure of a medical device during the treatment of a patient that causes serious harm to the patient.

AB783, s. 33 Section 33. 979.01 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,18,11 979.01 (title) Reporting deaths required; penalty; taking specimens by coroner or medical examiner jurisdiction for investigating deaths.

AB783, s. 34 Section 34. 979.01 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,18,24 979.01 (1) (intro.) All physicians, authorities of hospitals, sanatoriums, public and private institutions, convalescent homes, authorities of any institution of a like nature, and other persons having Any health care provider, director of an inpatient health care facility, as defined in s. 50.135 (1), director of a long-term care facility, as defined in s. 16.009 (1) (em), director of emergency medical services, director of a correctional facility, or any other person who has knowledge of the death of any person who has died under any of the following circumstances individual, shall, if any of the following applies, immediately report the death to the sheriff, police chief, the medical examiner or coroner of in the county where in which the death took place individual was pronounced dead or in which the individual's body or remains were located and may report the death to a law enforcement officer in that county:

AB783, s. 35 Section 35. 979.01 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,19,2 979.01 (1) (a) All deaths in which there are The death involves unexplained, unusual, or suspicious circumstances.

AB783, s. 36 Section 36. 979.01 (1) (b) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB783,19,5 979.01 (1) (b) The death is a suspected homicide, including a death resulting from an act of bioterrorism, as defined in s. 166.02 (1r).

AB783, s. 37 Section 37. 979.01 (1) (c) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB783,19,7 979.01 (1) (c) The death is a suspected suicide.

AB783, s. 38 Section 38. 979.01 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB783,19,10 979.01 (1) (d) All deaths following The death is of a woman and is associated with an abortion, as defined in s. 253.10 (2) (a).