AR HB1722

Coroner investigations do not include criminal investigation responsibilities, but coroners shall assist law enforcement agencies or the State Crime Laboratory upon request

Coroners may issue subpoenas to obtain medical records, testimony, and antemortem biological fluids or toxicological samples relevant to determining cause and manner of death

Coroners or their deputies qualified by the State Crime Laboratory may take toxicological samples from dead bodies to determine if chemical agents contributed to death

Physicians, hospitals, and healthcare providers may provide biological fluids or toxicological samples to coroners without requiring authorization, subpoena, or court order, and are protected from civil and criminal liability for doing so

Preliminary written reports of coroner investigations must be completed within five (5) working days and include specific information about the decedent for deaths without medical attendance or involving homicide, accident, or suicide