MN HF4528

Amends Minnesota Statutes section 390.11 to clarify coroner and medical examiner procedures for investigating reportable deaths, including 24 categories of deaths requiring investigation such as sudden deaths, deaths under suspicious circumstances, and deaths during medical procedures.

Allows coroners and medical examiners to order autopsies at their discretion when the public interest would be served, with authority to remove and retain organs, tissues, or fluids for determining cause of death or preserving evidence without requiring next-of-kin consent for investigative purposes.

Creates new section 390.361 establishing a contested case hearing procedure under Minnesota Chapter 14 that allows interested parties to challenge a coroner or medical examiner's findings or report.

Defines "interested party" eligible to request contested case hearings as the spouse, parent, adult child, adult sibling, or legal guardian of the deceased person.