09
SB38/AP
Senate
Bill 38
By:
Senator Harp of the 29th
AS
PASSED
AN
ACT
To
amend Article 2 of Chapter 16 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to death investigations by coroners, so as to clarify that
the Georgia Bureau of Investigations has jurisdiction over the post mortem
examination or autopsy on persons whose death occurs on certain state property;
to provide for the training of canine service dogs for the purpose of body
recovery and rescue of persons; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
2 of Chapter 16 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to death investigations by coroners, is amended in Code Section 45-16-25,
relating to duties of a coroner or county medical examiner upon receipt of
notice of suspicious or unusual death, authority to embalm a body,
identification, inventory and disposition of a deceased's property, and use of a
deceased’s property for evidence, by adding a new subsection to read as
follows:
"(d)
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is authorized to perform a post mortem
examination and autopsy on a person whose death occurs within a state owned or
leased building or on the curtilage of such building. The Georgia Bureau of
Investigation shall have jurisdiction relating to the investigation of such a
death, and this authority and jurisdiction shall supersede any other authority
or jurisdiction provided for by this article relating to a post mortem
examination or autopsy."
SECTION
2.
Said
article is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"45-16-50.
A
medical examiner within the state of Georgia is authorized to provide to an
approved canine instructor or school certain biological substances such as human
blood or bodily fluids for the sole purpose of utilizing such substances for the
training and handling of police canines in body recovery of human remains or
rescue of persons. Such biological substances shall be contained and
transported in accordance with appropriate health and safety
standards."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.