AB530,31,2019 979.01 (1p) A coroner or medical examiner who receives notice of a death under
20sub. (1), or his or her designee, shall notify the deceased's next of kin of the death.
AB530,51 21Section 51. 979.01 (1r) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,32,222 979.01 (1r) If the coroner or medical examiner is notified of a death under sub.
23(1) or (1g) and determines that his or her notification of the death was not required
24under sub. (1) or (1g),
the discovery of human remains under this section and

1determines that the human remains have no forensic significance,
he or she shall
2notify the director of the historical society under s. 157.70 (3).
AB530,52 3Section 52. 979.01 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 979.01 (2) (a) and
4amended to read:
AB530,32,75 979.01 (2) (a) Unless s. 948.23 (1) (b) applies and except as provided in par. (b),
6any person who violates this section shall sub. (1) may be fined not more than $1,000
7or imprisoned not more than 90 days or both.
AB530,53 8Section 53. 979.01 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,32,109 979.01 (2) (b) Any partnership, association, organization, institution, or body
10politic or corporate that violates sub. (1) may be fined not more than $10,000.
AB530,54 11Section 54. 979.01 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
AB530,55 12Section 55. 979.01 (3m) of the statutes is repealed.
AB530,56 13Section 56. 979.01 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 979.105 and amended to
14read:
AB530,33,7 15979.105 Authorization to embalm or dispose of a body. No person may
16embalm or perform an autopsy on dispose of, by burial, entombment, cremation,
17delivery to a university or school under s. 157.02 (3), or delivery to a medical or dental
18school anatomy department under s. 157.06,
the body of any person who has died
19under any of the circumstances listed in this section or on the body of any person
20whose death has been reported under s. 948.23 (1) (b) unless the person obtains the

21individual whose death must be reported under s. 948.23 (1) (b) or 979.01 (1) without
22the
written authorization of the coroner of the county in which the injury or cause
23of death occurred. Such authorization shall be issued by the
or medical examiner
24who has jurisdiction to investigate the death under s. 979.01. An authorization
25under this section shall include information necessary to identify the deceased, the

1date and place of death, the name of the funeral director or person acting in the place
2of the funeral director, and shall specify that the authorization does not override the
3wishes of the next of kin of the deceased with respect to disposition of the body. The

4coroner or a deputy within 12 hours after notification of the reportable death, or
5medical examiner, or his or her designee, shall issue an authorization under this
6section
as soon thereafter as possible in the event of unexplained, unusual or
7suspicious circumstances
after being notified of the death.
AB530,57 8Section 57. 979.015 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,33,15 9979.015 Subpoena for documents. Upon the request of the coroner, medical
10examiner, or district attorney, a court shall issue a subpoena requiring the
11production of documents necessary for the determination of a decedent's relevant to
12determining the
cause or manner of a deceased's death. The documents may include
13the decedent's patient health care records and treatment records, as defined in ss.
1451.30 and 146.81 (4).
The documents shall be returnable to the officer named in the
15subpoena.
AB530,58 16Section 58. 979.017 of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,33,22 17979.017 Custody of and authorization to move a body. (1) The coroner
18or medical examiner who has jurisdiction to investigate a death under s. 979.01 has
19legal custody of the deceased's body until he or she releases the body for disposition.
20Temporary transfer of a deceased's body for the purpose of removing a body part that
21is the subject of an anatomical gift under s. 157.06 does not constitute release of legal
22custody of the body.
AB530,34,2 23(2) If an individual's death must be reported under s. 979.01 (1), no person may
24move the individual's body at or from the scene of death without authorization from
25the coroner or medical examiner to whom the death was first reported under s.

1979.01, except if it is necessary to move the body to perform search or rescue
2operations for living individuals.
AB530,59 3Section 59. 979.02 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,34,4 4979.02 (title) Autopsies and other diagnostic procedures.
AB530,60 5Section 60. 979.02 of the statutes is renumbered 979.02 (1) and amended to
6read:
AB530,34,237 979.02 (1) The coroner, or medical examiner or district attorney who has
8jurisdiction to investigate a death under s. 979.01
may order the conducting of that
9an autopsy upon or other appropriate diagnostic procedure be performed on the body
10of a dead person any place within the state in cases where an inquest might be had
11as provided in s. 979.04 notwithstanding the fact that no such inquest is ordered or
12conducted. The autopsy shall be conducted by a licensed physician who has
13specialized training in pathology. The district attorney may move the circuit court
14for the county in which the body is buried for an order disinterring the body for
15purposes of autopsy. The order shall be granted by the circuit court upon a
16reasonable showing that any of the criteria specified in s. 979.04 exists. This section
17does not prevent additional autopsies or examinations of the body if there are
18unanswered pathological questions concerning the death and the causes of death
the
19deceased, or may extract from the body any specimen, bodily fluids, other bodily
20material, or other material for analysis that will assist him or her in conducting a
21death investigation. The coroner or medical examiner shall dispose of specimens,
22fluids, and materials that are no longer of use in the investigation in accordance with
23standard biological material practices and county evidence retention rules
.
AB530,61 24Section 61. 979.02 (2) to (7) of the statutes are created to read:
AB530,35,4
1979.02 (2) The coroner or medical examiner who has jurisdiction to investigate
2a death under s. 979.01, or his or her designee, shall order that an autopsy and any
3other appropriate diagnostic procedure be performed on the body of the deceased if
4any of the following applies:
AB530,35,75 (a) The coroner or medical examiner has reason to believe that the death
6resulted from a criminal act, unless the district attorney waives the requirement for
7an autopsy.
AB530,35,98 (b) The death must be reported under s. 979.01 (1) (b) or (c), unless the district
9attorney waives the requirement for an autopsy.
AB530,35,1110 (c) The deceased was under 18 years of age and the death is unexplained or
11unusual.
AB530,35,1312 (d) The deceased was under 2 years of age and the death occurred under
13circumstances indicating sudden infant death syndrome.
AB530,35,16 14(3) The district attorney may order an autopsy conducted on the body of a
15deceased regardless of whether the conditions for ordering an inquest under s.
16979.04 (1) are satisfied.
AB530,35,18 17(4) An autopsy ordered under this section may be performed only by a licensed
18physician who has undergone specialized training in pathology.
AB530,35,21 19(5) The requirement to order an autopsy under sub. (2) does not preclude a
20coroner or medical examiner from allowing the removal of a body part that is the
21subject of an anatomical gift under s. 157.06.
AB530,36,3 22(6) Except if ordered under sub. (3), no person may perform an autopsy on the
23body of an individual whose death must be reported under s. 948.23 (1) (b) or 979.01
24(1) without the written authorization of the coroner or medical examiner who has
25jurisdiction to investigate the death under s. 979.01. In cases in which the coroner

1or medical examiner issues an authorization to perform an autopsy, the coroner or
2medical examiner shall, if possible, issue the authorization within 12 hours after
3being notified of the death, or as soon as possible thereafter.
AB530,36,11 4(7) If the coroner or medical examiner who has jurisdiction to investigate a
5death under s. 979.01 determines that an autopsy or analysis of specimens, bodily
6fluids, or other bodily materials is not required for an investigation of a death that
7must be reported under s. 948.23 (1) (b) or 979.01 (1) and a representative of the
8deceased inquires about performance of an autopsy or analysis of specimens, bodily
9fluids, or other bodily materials, the coroner or medical examiner shall inform the
10representative of the deceased that the representative of the deceased may contract
11for pathology-related services at his or her own expense.
AB530,62 12Section 62. 979.025 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,36,13 13979.025 (title) Autopsy Investigation of death of a correctional inmate.
AB530,63 14Section 63. 979.025 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,36,2315 979.025 (1) Inmate confined to an institution in this state. If a coroner or
16medical examiner determines that the death of
an individual dies, who died while
17he or she is in the legal custody of the department and confined to a correctional
18facility located in this state, the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the
19death occurred shall perform an autopsy on the deceased individual. If the coroner
20or medical examiner who performs the autopsy determines that the individual's
21death
may have been the result of any of the situations that would permit the district
22attorney to order an inquest under s. 979.04 (1), the coroner or medical examiner
23shall follow the procedures under s. 979.04 (2).
AB530,64 24Section 64. 979.025 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,37,13
1979.025 (2) Inmate confined in an institution in another state. If an
2individual dies while he or she is in the legal custody of the department and confined
3to a correctional facility in another state under a contract under s. 301.07, 301.21,
4or 302.25, the department shall have an autopsy and any other appropriate
5diagnostic procedure
performed by an appropriate authority in the other state or, if
6the body is returned to this state,
by order of the coroner or medical examiner of the
7county in which the circuit court is located that sentenced the individual to the
8custody of the department. If the coroner or medical examiner who performs orders
9the autopsy or other diagnostic procedure in this state determines that the
10individual's death may have been the result of any of the situations that would
11permit the district attorney to order an inquest under s. 979.04 (1), the coroner or
12medical examiner shall forward the results of the autopsy or other diagnostic
13procedure
to the appropriate authority in the other state.
AB530,65 14Section 65. 979.025 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,37,1815 979.025 (3) Costs of an autopsy and diagnostic procedure. The costs of an
16autopsy or other diagnostic procedure performed under sub. (1) or (2) or performed
17on an inmate confined in a correctional facility in this state whose death must be
18reported under s. 979.01 (1) (b)
shall be paid by the department.
AB530,66 19Section 66. 979.027 of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,38,3 20979.027 Disinterment for autopsy or other diagnostic procedure. The
21district attorney may move the circuit court for the county in which a body is buried
22for an order disinterring the body for the purpose of conducting an autopsy or other
23diagnostic procedures. The order shall be granted by the circuit court upon a
24reasonable showing that any of the criteria specified in s. 979.04 (1) exists. The clerk
25of the circuit court shall send a copy of the order to the coroner or medical examiner

1in the county in which the body is buried. Upon receipt of the order, the coroner or
2medical examiner shall issue a permit for disinterment and reinterment under s.
369.18 (4) (c).
AB530,67 4Section 67. 979.03 of the statutes is repealed.
AB530,68 5Section 68. 979.032 of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,38,8 6979.032 Coroner or medical examiner investigation records. (1) The
7coroner or medical examiner shall create and maintain for each investigation
8conducted under s. 979.01 a record that contains all of the following:
AB530,38,99 (a) The full name of the deceased and any known alias used by the deceased.
AB530,38,1010 (b) A coroner or medical examiner case number.
AB530,38,1111 (c) A case activity log.
AB530,38,1812 (d) An investigation report containing any personal information regarding the
13deceased that is relevant to determining the cause and manner of death, the medical
14history of the deceased, information relevant to the circumstances of the death, death
15scene observations, findings regarding the body of the deceased that are relevant to
16determining the cause of death, notation of evidence recovered, including any visual
17documentation, a list of other persons or agencies involved in the investigation, and
18a list of persons interviewed by the coroner or medical examiner regarding the case.
AB530,38,1919 (e) A written autopsy report, if an autopsy is conducted.
AB530,38,2220 (f) Documentation of the chain of custody of all evidence and property obtained
21by the coroner or medical examiner, including an inventory sheet of prescription
22medications, described under s. 979.036 (2), if applicable.
AB530,38,25 23(2) The coroner or medical examiner shall maintain investigation records
24created under sub. (1) in an office that is owned or leased by the county, maintained
25by the county, and designated as the office of the county coroner or medical examiner.
AB530,39,3
1(3) Subject to s. 979.034, the coroner or medical examiner shall maintain
2written policies regarding access to investigation records created or maintained
3under this section.
AB530,69 4Section 69. 979.034 of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,39,12 5979.034 Confidentiality of coroner or medical examiner investigation
6records and information.
(1) The coroner or medical examiner shall keep
7confidential all records obtained under s. 51.30 (4) (b) 29. or 146.82 (2) (a) 18., all
8confidential documents obtained by subpoena under s. 979.015, and any information
9contained in such records or documents, except that the coroner or medical examiner
10may divulge such information as necessary to complete a medical certification under
11s. 69.18 (2) and shall provide access to information and records to law enforcement
12and district attorneys.
AB530,39,20 13(2) The coroner or medical examiner shall keep records of autopsies and other
14diagnostic procedures, including any photographs or other pictorial images of the
15deceased made in connection with a death investigation, and information learned
16from a death investigation or other diagnostic procedure confidential. The coroner
17or medical examiner may not release such records or information except to persons
18to whom the deceased's patient health care records may be released under s. 146.82
19(2) without informed consent, to a representative of the deceased or his or her
20designee, or for educational purposes.
AB530,40,2 21(3) If a law enforcement agency, or a district attorney, investigating a death
22requests that the coroner or medical examiner keep investigation records under s.
23979.032 and information related to an investigation confidential, the coroner or
24medical examiner shall keep such records and information confidential for as long

1as the law enforcement agency has an open death investigation or the district
2attorney requests.
AB530,70 3Section 70. 979.036 of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,40,11 4979.036 Handling of personal property of deceased. (1) Each coroner or
5medical examiner shall keep an inventory of any money or other property that the
6coroner or medical examiner takes from a death scene or from a deceased and does
7not immediately provide to a law enforcement agency as evidence. The coroner or
8medical examiner shall release any such property, other than prescription
9medication, that belonged to the deceased to a representative of the deceased unless
10the property is needed as evidence or unless a court has issued an order to hold the
11property for payment of fees associated with the disposal of the body.
AB530,40,22 12(2) If the coroner or medical examiner takes prescription medications from a
13death scene or from the body of a deceased, the coroner or medical examiner shall list
14them on an inventory sheet and sign the inventory sheet. If the coroner or medical
15examiner does not provide the prescription medications to a law enforcement agency
16as evidence, the coroner or medical examiner shall destroy them in accordance with
17applicable county evidence retention policies and appropriate standards for disposal
18of medications, except that the coroner or medical examiner shall donate those
19prescription medications that satisfy the requirements under s. 255.056 (3) to the
20drug repository program under s. 255.056 or to another similar drug repository
21program. The coroner or medical examiner shall indicate on the inventory sheet the
22disposition of the prescription medications.
AB530,71 23Section 71. 979.09 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,41,13 24979.09 Burial Disposition of an unidentified or unclaimed body. If any
25judge or circuit court commissioner conducts an inquest as to the death of a stranger

1or of a person whose identity is unknown or whose body is unclaimed or if the district
2attorney determines that no inquest into the death of such a person is necessary and
3the circuit judge has not ordered an inquest under s. 979.04 (2),
a coroner or medical
4examiner has custody of an unidentified or unclaimed body of an individual whose
5death was investigated under s. 979.01, and the coroner or medical examiner has
6made reasonable efforts to identify the body or locate a representative of the
7deceased,
the coroner or medical examiner shall cause the body to be decently buried
8or cremated and shall certify to all the charges incurred in taking any inquest by him
9or her and to
the expenses of burial or cremation of the dead body. The charges and
10expenses shall be audited by the county board of the proper county and paid out of
11the county treasury
with funds other than funds appropriated for the operation of
12the coroner's or medical examiner's office. The immunity provisions under s. 157.02
13(2m) (b) and (c) apply to a coroner's or medical examiner's actions under this section
.
AB530,72 14Section 72. 979.10 (1) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,41,1815 979.10 (1) (a) (intro.) No person may cremate the corpse body of a deceased
16person within 48 hours after the pronouncement of death, or the discovery of the
17death, of the deceased person
unless the death was caused by a contagious or
18infectious disease. and one of the following conditions applies:
AB530,41,20 19(ag) No person may cremate a corpse body unless the person has received a
20cremation permit release from one of the following:
AB530,73 21Section 73. 979.10 (1) (a) 1., 2. and 3. of the statutes are renumbered 979.10
22(1) (ag) 1., 2. and 3. and amended to read:
AB530,41,2523 979.10 (1) (ag) 1. The coroner or medical examiner in the county where the
24death occurred was pronounced if the death occurred was pronounced in this state;
25and the death was not subject to an investigation under s. 979.01.
AB530,42,4
12. The coroner or medical examiner in the county where the event which caused
2the death occurred if the death occurred in this state and
who investigated the death
3if the death was pronounced in this state and is the subject of to an investigation
4under s. 979.01; or.
AB530,42,85 3. The coroner or medical examiner of the county where the corpse body is to
6be cremated if the death occurred was pronounced outside this state. A cremation
7permit issued under this subdivision may not be used in any county except the county
8in which the cremation permit is issued.
AB530,74 9Section 74. 979.10 (1) (a) 1m. and 2m. of the statutes are created to read:
AB530,42,1110 979.10 (1) (a) 1m. The person determines that the body must be cremated
11immediately to effectively contain the disease.
AB530,42,1312 2m. A public health authority orders sooner disposal of the body under s.
13157.055 (2) (c) during a state of emergency related to public health.
AB530,75 14Section 75. 979.10 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,42,2015 979.10 (1) (b) A coroner or medical examiner shall include in any cremation
16permit release issued under par. (a) (ag) a statement that he or she has viewed the
17corpse body which is the subject of the permit release and made personal inquiry into
18the cause and manner of death under sub. (2) and is of the opinion that no further
19examination or judicial inquiry is necessary. The release shall also specify the
20earliest date and time that the cremation may occur.
AB530,76 21Section 76. 979.10 (1) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 157.113 and amended
22to read:
AB530,42,25 23157.113 Permission required to deposit cremated remains in cemetery.
24No person may deposit any cremated remains of a corpse in any cemetery without
25the permission of the person who owns or is in charge of the cemetery authority.
AB530,77
1Section 77. 979.10 (1) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,43,102 979.10 (1) (d) If the medical certification of the cause and manner of death of
3a deceased is completed by a physician under s. 69.18 (2) (b) or (c), the coroner or
4medical examiner shall review the medical certification before issuing a cremation
5release for the deceased. It is not a violation of s. 69.24 for a coroner or medical
6examiner to make or receive a copy of a death certificate, that has not been filed
7under s. 69.18 (1), for purposes of this paragraph. A coroner or medical examiner
8may not release such a copy of a death certificate to any other person or use the copy
9for a purpose other than complying with the review requirement under this
10paragraph.
AB530,78 11Section 78. 979.10 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,43,2512 979.10 (2) If a corpse is to be cremated person requests a cremation release, the
13coroner or medical examiner shall view the body, make a careful personal inquiry
14into the cause and manner of death, and conduct an autopsy or order the conducting
15of an autopsy
, if in his or her or the coroner, medical examiner, or district attorney's
16opinion
attorney determines that it is necessary to determine the cause and manner
17of death, perform or order an autopsy performed on the body. If the coroner or
18medical examiner determines that no further examination or judicial inquiry is
19necessary, he or she shall certify that fact and issue a cremation release. Upon
20written request by the district attorney the coroner or medical examiner shall obtain
21the concurrence of the district attorney before issuing the certification cremation
22release
. If the coroner or medical examiner determines that further examination or
23judicial inquiry is necessary, he or she shall notify the district attorney under s.
24979.04 (2) and refuse to issue a cremation release until the examination or judicial
25inquiry is concluded
.
AB530,79
1Section 79. 979.10 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
AB530,80 2Section 80. 979.10 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,44,73 979.10 (4) Whoever accepts, receives, or takes any corpse body of a deceased
4person with intent to destroy the corpse body by means of cremation, or who cremates
5or aids and assists in the cremation of any corpse body of a deceased person without
6having presented the permit release specified in sub. (1) (ag), shall be fined not more
7than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than 9 months or both.
AB530,81 8Section 81. 979.10 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,44,129 979.10 (5) If a coroner or medical examiner issues an authorization under s.
10979.105 for a body but refuses to issue a cremation release for the body under sub.
11(2), the coroner or medical examiner and the county are not liable for the cost of
12storing the body.
AB530,82 13Section 82. 979.10 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
AB530,44,1814 979.10 (6) A person receiving a body under s. 157.02 (1m) (c) or 157.06 for the
15purpose of medical research or education shall request a cremation release from the
16coroner or medical examiner who has jurisdiction to issue a cremation release under
17sub. (1) (ag) before moving the body out of the county served by the coroner or medical
18examiner.
AB530,83 19Section 83. 979.22 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB530,45,2 20979.22 Autopsies Fees for other autopsy and toxicological services
21other diagnostic procedures by coroners or medical examiners. A coroner
22or
medical examiner may perform autopsies and toxicological services other
23diagnostic procedures
not required under this chapter and may charge a fee
24established by the county board for such autopsies and services procedures. The fee

1may not exceed an amount reasonably related to the actual and necessary cost of
2providing the service autopsy and procedures.
AB530,84 3Section 84. Nonstatutory provisions.
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