Indiana § 36-2-14-20 - County responsibility for costs of autopsies

§ 36-2-14-20. County responsibility for costs of autopsies

Sec. 20. (a) This section applies only to the autopsy of a person whose death is:

(1) natural;

(2) suspicious;

(3) violent;

(4) accidental; or

(5) from an overdose.

(b) As used in this section, "autopsy" means the external and surgical internal examination of all body systems of a decedent, including toxicology and histology.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (e) and IC 4-24-4-1, if an Indiana resident dies in an Indiana county as a result of an incident that occurred in another Indiana county, the county coroner where the death occurred shall contact the coroner of the county where the incident occurred to discuss whether an autopsy is needed. The coroner where the incident occurred must respond to the coroner where the death occurred not more than twenty-four (24) hours after being contacted to discuss the need for an autopsy. If, after discussion, the coroners:

(1) agree that an autopsy is needed:

(A) the coroner of the county in which the incident occurred is responsible for the cost of the autopsy, including the physician fee under section 6 of this chapter; and

(B) the coroner of the county where the death occurred shall bill the county in which the incident occurred for the costs in clause (A) not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the death occurred; or

(2) disagree that an autopsy is needed, the coroner of the county that conducts the autopsy is responsible for the cost of the autopsy, including the physician fee under section 6 of this chapter except in the instance of a criminal case that could result in criminal charges in which the county where the incident occurred is responsible for the cost of the autopsy, including the physician fee under section 6 of this chapter.

(d) If the coroner where the incident occurred fails to respond to the coroner where the death occurred not more than twenty-four (24) hours after being contacted under subsection (c) to discuss whether an autopsy is needed:

(1) the coroner where the death occurred may perform an autopsy, if the coroner believes that an autopsy is warranted;

(2) the coroner of the county in which the incident occurred is responsible for the cost of the autopsy, including the physician fee under section 6 of this chapter; and

(3) the coroner of the county where the death occurred shall bill the county in which the incident occurred for the costs in subdivision (2) not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the death occurred.

(e) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) and IC 4-24-4-1, payment for the costs of an autopsy requested by a party other than the:

(1) prosecuting attorney; or

(2) county coroner;

of the county in which the individual died must be made by the party requesting the autopsy.

(f) This section does not preclude the coroner of a county in which a death occurs from attempting to recover autopsy costs from the jurisdiction outside Indiana where the incident that caused the death occurred.

As added by P.L.271-2001, SEC.6. Amended by P.L.67-2003, SEC.1; P.L.225-2007, SEC.18; P.L.193-2018, SEC.6; P.L.73-2023, SEC.4; P.L.148-2024, SEC.31; P.L.225-2025, SEC.1; P.L.75-2026, SEC.9.