Section 36-2-14-20 - County responsibility for costs of autopsies(a) This section applies only to the autopsy of a person whose death is: (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 (d) 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 discuss whether an autopsy is warranted with the coroner of the county where the incident occurred. If the coroners agree that an autopsy is needed, the coroner of the county where the death occurred shall bill the county in which the incident occurred for the cost of the autopsy, including the physician fee under section 6(e) of this chapter.(d) Except as provided in subsection (c) 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.
(e) 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.