SB232 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bobby Denton

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Coroners, dead bodies, autopsies and other post-mortem examinations, storage and transportation to Forensic Sciences Department, coroner responsible under certain conditions, payment by county commission under certain conditions, person or entity requesting to reimburse county commission (2010-20618)

Summary

SB232 requires coroners to store and transport bodies for autopsies under specific conditions and establishes how those storage and transport costs are paid and reimbursed.

What This Bill Does

The bill makes the coroner responsible for transporting a body to the designated forensic sciences laboratory for autopsies or post-mortem exams ordered under Alabama law, and for storing the body before transport when needed. It requires coordination with the Department of Forensic Sciences for storage and transport to the lab. It sets who pays the costs (the law enforcement agency with primary jurisdiction, excluding the DA’s or grand jury’s office), and creates a detailed reimbursement process where the coroner itemizes expenses and the county commission pays within 30 days, with funds going into the county general fund for these specific costs. It also specifies conditions for non-investigation autopsies and upfront payment requirements, and establishes an effective date of October 1, 2010.

Who It Affects

• Law enforcement agencies with primary jurisdiction over death investigations (they are responsible for paying storage and transport costs for autopsies ordered under 36-18-2, with the exception of the DA or grand jury’s office).
• Coroners (they coordinate with the Department of Forensic Sciences, perform storage prior to transport, and file itemized expense claims).
• County commissions (they reimburse the coroner’s office and manage payments into the county general fund).
• Department of Forensic Sciences (they are the designated laboratories for autopsies and required to coordinate storage and transport).
• Funeral homes or other designated locations (recipients of body transport after the autopsy or post-mortem examination).
• Individuals or entities requesting autopsies outside of an investigative context (they may need to pay all expenses up front if the coroner assists).

Key Provisions

• Coroner must handle storage before transport and coordinate with the Department of Forensic Sciences for transport to the designated lab when an autopsy or post-mortem exam is ordered under 36-18-2.
• Costs for storage and transportation ordered under 36-18-2 are paid by the law enforcement agency with primary jurisdiction over the investigation, except for the DA or grand jury’s office.
• Coroner must itemize storage and transport expenses (to DFS, and from DFS to a designated funeral home or other location) and deliver the itemized statement to the county commission within 10 days of the body’s delivery to the DFS lab; the county commission then reimburses the responsible entity within 30 days of receipt.
• All payments go into the county general fund and may only be used for the specified storage and transport expenses; the county commission is not responsible for payment if the coroner did not comply with the itemization requirement.
• If an autopsy is requested for purposes other than an investigation, the coroner is not responsible for storage or transportation unless the requester pays all expenses upfront; payment goes to the county general fund as described.
• The act becomes effective October 1, 2010.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Coroners