Missouri House advances bill requiring coroner death-investigation training, drops proposed salary schedule

Representative from Cape Girardeau pushed House Bill 11-22 on the House floor, saying the measure would require proof of medical-legal death-investigation training before filing for the elected office of coroner and would modify the use of the Missouri coroner-training fund.

Why it matters: The sponsor said families and public-health leaders depend on accurate cause-of-death data, and that training coroners would improve vital records and give families clearer answers about how loved ones died.

The bill’s sponsor told the chamber that current statewide coroner qualifications are minimal — "To be a citizen of The United States, to be 21 years old, be a resident of the Missouri of Missouri for 1 year, and be a resident of your county for 6 months" — and that statutes governing coroners date in many places to the 1940s. He said the bill builds on the 2020 law commonly called the Jake Minor bill and would lift 19 NIJ (National Institute of Justice) elements into statute so the requirements are set by the legislature rather than solely by a commission.

Key provisions - Require proof of medical-legal death-investigation training…