_______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6226
_______________________________________________
Passed Legislature - 1996 Regular Session
State of Washington 54th Legislature 1996
Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/09/96. Referred to Committee
on Government Operations.
Allowing appointment of a medical
examiner in more populous counties.
AN ACT Relating to the
appointment of a medical examiner in more populous counties; amending RCW
36.16.030; and adding a new section to chapter 36.24 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 36.16.030 and 1991 c
363 ss 46, 47 are each amended to read as follows:
Except as provided
elsewhere in this section, in every county there shall be elected from among
the qualified voters of the county a county assessor, a county auditor, a
county clerk, a county coroner, three county commissioners, a county
prosecuting attorney, a county sheriff and a county treasurer, except that in
each county with a population of less than forty thousand no coroner shall be
elected and the prosecuting attorney shall be ex officio coroner. Whenever the
population of a county increases to forty thousand or more, the prosecuting
attorney shall continue as ex officio coroner until a coroner is elected, at
the next general election at which the office of prosecuting attorney normally
would be elected, and assumes office as provided in RCW 29.04.170. In any
county where the population has once attained forty thousand people and a
current coroner is in office and a subsequent census indicates less than forty
thousand people, the county legislative authority may maintain the office of
coroner by resolution or ordinance. If the county legislative authority has
not passed a resolution or enacted an ordinance to maintain the office of
coroner, the elected coroner shall remain in office for the remainder of the
term for which he or she was elected, but no coroner shall be elected at the
next election at which that office would otherwise be filled and the
prosecuting attorney shall be the ex officio coroner. In a county with a population
of two hundred fifty thousand or more, the county legislative authority may
replace the office of coroner with a medical examiner system and appoint a
medical examiner as specified in section 2 of this act. A noncharter county
may have five county commissioners as provided in RCW 36.32.010 and 36.32.055
through 36.32.0558.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
2. A new section is added
to chapter 36.24 RCW to read as follows:
In a
county with a population of two hundred fifty thousand or more, the county
legislative authority may, upon majority vote at an election called by the
county legislative authority, adopt a system under which a medical examiner may
be appointed to replace the office of the coroner. The county legislative authority
must adopt a resolution or ordinance that creates the office of medical
examiner at least thirty days prior to the first day of filing for the primary
election for county offices. If a county adopts such a resolution or
ordinance, the resolution or ordinance shall be referred to the voters for
confirmation or rejection at the next date for a special election that is more
than forty-five days from the date the resolution or ordinance was adopted. If
the resolution or ordinance is approved by majority vote, no election shall be
held for the position of coroner and the coroner's position is abolished
following the expiration of the coroner's term of office or upon vacating of
the office of the coroner for any reason. The county legislative authority shall
appoint a medical examiner to assume the statutory duties performed by the
county coroner and the appointment shall become effective following the
expiration of the coroner's term of office or upon the vacating of the office
of the coroner. To be appointed as a medical examiner pursuant to this
section, a person must either be: (1) Certified as a forensic pathologist by
the American board of pathology; or (2) a qualified physician eligible to take
the American board of pathology exam in forensic pathology within one year of
being appointed. A physician specializing in pathology who is appointed to the
position of medical examiner and who is not certified as a forensic pathologist
must pass the pathology exam within three years of the appointment.
