CHAPTER 431

An Act to amend and reenact § 19.1-42, as amended, of the Code of
Virginia, relating to the duties of medical examiners. 203)
[H 2038

Approved April 2, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 19.1-42, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and
reenacted as follows:

: 19.1-42. Duties of medical examiners upon receipt of notice; re-
ports; fees —Upon receipt of such notice the medical examiner shall take
charge of the dead body, make inquiries regarding the cause and manner
of death, reduce his findings to writing, and promptly make a full report
thereof to the Chief Medical Examiner on forms prescribed for such
purpose, retaining one copy of such report for his own and delivering
another copy to the attorney for the Commonwealth of his county or city.
Full directions as to the nature, character and extent of the investigation
to be made in such cases shall be furnished the medical examiner by the
Chief Medical Examiner, together with appropriate forms for the required
reports and instructions for their use. The Chief Medical Examiner shall
furnish to all medical examiners an additional special form to be used for
reporting any discernible physical or mental conditions which may have
contributed to the death of victims of traffic accidents. Such special form
Shall be drawn up by and returnable only to the Chief Medical Examiner
for use solely in research on the causes of traffic accidents and shall not
be subject to the provisions of § 19.1-45. The Chief Medical Examiner shall
make such forms or the information contained therein available for re-
search purposes to any educational or governmental agency conducting
research in traffic accident prevention, but shall not disclose the identity
of the dead. For each investigation under this chapter, including the mak-
ing of the required reports, the medical examiner shall receive a fee of
fifteen dollars, this to be paid by the State, unless the deceased is a legal
resident of the county or city in which his death occurred, in which event
such county or city shall be responsible for the fee.