LA SB216

Adds licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to the list of personnel whose firsthand observations a coroner may rely on to make a medical pronouncement of death

Current law already authorizes coroners to base death pronouncements on information from coroner investigators, registered nurses, physician assistants, and emergency medical technicians

Personnel providing observations must be at the scene and reporting from firsthand observation of the deceased's physical condition

Time of death is recorded as the time the death was reported or discovered, and the coroner must document which personnel they relied upon in their investigative report

Effective August 1, 2026