Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 84 Part 1.djvu/576

 518

PUBLIC LAW 91-358-JULY 29, 1970

[84 STAT.

"§11-2301. Medical Examiner; Deputies; appointment, qualifications, and compensation " (a) The Commissioner of the District of Columbia shall designate or appoint a Chief Medical Examiner and such Deputy Medical Examiners for the District of Columbia as may be necessary. "(b) The Chief Medical Examiner and his deputies shall be physicians licensed in the District of Columbia. The Chief Medical Examiner and at least one deputy shall be certified in anatomic pathology by the American Board of Pathology or be board eligible. They may be designated from among physicians practicing in the District of Columbia Department of Public Health. "(c) The Commissioner shall fix the compensation of the Chief Medical Examiner and his deputies at a rate or rates not in excess of the per diem equivalent of the rate for GS-18 of the General Schedule Ante. p. 198-1. coutalncd iu section 5332 of title 5 of the United States Code. "§ 11-2302. Supporting services and facilities "The Commissioner shall furnish or make available such investigative, technical, and clerical personnel, facilities, and equipment as the medical examiners shall require, or he may arrange or contract for such services, equipment, and facilities with the United States Government or universities and hospitals in the District of Columbia. "§ 11-2303. Former duties of coroner; oaths; teaching " (a) The Chief Medical Examiner shall be responsible for all the medical functions formerly performed by the coroner in the District of Columbia, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, and the Chief Medical Examiner and his deputies may administer oaths and affirmations and take affidavits in connection with the performance of their duties. "(b) The Chief Medical Examiner and his deputies may be authorized by the Commissioner of the District of Columbia to teach medical and law school classes, to conduct special classes for law enforcement personnel, and to engage in other activities related to their work. "§ 11-2304. Deaths to be investigated; notification and investigation of deaths " (a) Under regulations established by the Chief Medical Examiner, the following types of human deaths occurring in the District of Columbia shall be investigated: "(1) Violent deaths, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal, or accidental, including deaths due to thermal, chemical, electrical, or radiational injurj, and deaths due to criminal abortion, whether apparently self-induced or not. "(2) Sudden deaths not caused by readily recognizable disease. "(3) Deaths under suspicious circumstances. "(4) Deaths of persons whose bodies are to be cremated, dissected, buried at sea, or otherwise disposed of so as to be thereafter unavailable for examination. "(5) Deaths related to disease resulting from employment or to accident while employed. "(6) Deaths related to disease which might constitute a threat to public health. "(b) All law enforcement officers, physicians, undertakers, embalmers and other persons shall promptly notify a medical examiner of the occurrence of all deaths coming to their attention which are subject to investigation under subsection (a) of this section and shall assist in making dead bodies and related evidence available to the medical examiner for investigation and autopsy.

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