Senate panel approves coroner bill setting first‑draw retention rules and who pays for disputed autopsies

The Senate Committee on Local Government approved House Bill 1194 on a 9‑0 vote after the committee adopted an amendment that narrows hospital obligations to retain certain initial whole‑blood samples and clarifies which coroner is responsible for payment when coroners disagree about ordering an autopsy.

Representative Abbott, discussing the bill’s provisions, said the measure fills gaps left by 2023 changes to coroner statutes and “clarifies what happens when a disagreement occurs between coroners.” Under the committee amendment, hospitals will be required to implement a retention protocol and hold the first‑draw whole‑blood sample in defined categories of cases — including treatment for accidental injury, motor vehicle crashes, shootings, stabbings, drownings, suspected overdoses, attempted suicide, domestic violence and cases that are the subject of criminal investigation — until the patient either dies or is discharged, or, if transferred, until the transfer hospital’s similar event.

Abby Rabin of the Indiana State Coroners Association told the committee the changes are “primarily cleanup” from the 2023 law and that the first draw is important because it “contains the most accurate levels of metabolites or drug and alcohol metabolites” before intravenous fluids or medications can dilute results.

Physicians and pathologists urged caution about the operational burden on hospital laboratories. Dr. Samuel Franks, representing the Indiana Association of Pathologists, said the College of American Pathologists’ usual regulatory practice leads many labs to retain samples for about three days and that storing samples refrigerated for 21 days would be “four to six times longer” than normal and could require validated equipment, staff time and additional costs; he also noted analytes can degrade over long refrigerated storage.

The bill also addresses billing when an incident occurs in one county and the patient dies in another. The adopted language directs that if coroners disagree about whether to perform an autopsy, the coroner who elects to conduct the autopsy is the one liable for the cost, and it requires an incident coroner to respond to a request within 24 hours or risk liability for the autopsy cost.

The committee adopted Amendment 5 by consent and then reported the amended bill favorably; the roll call recorded a 9‑0 vote to advance the bill.