Bill > HB5616

This bill amends sections 2 and 3 of the 1953 Public Act 181, which governs investigations into certain deaths within Michigan, such as those due to violence, negligence, or suspicious circumstances. The key provisions of this bill are: 1) It expands the circumstances under which a county medical examiner or deputy must investigate the cause and manner of death to include cases where the individual died without medical attendance by a physician, physician's assistant, or nurse practitioner in the 30 days prior to death, or while under home hospice care without such attendance in the 48 hours prior to death. 2) It allows county medical examiners to request subpoenas to obtain medical records and other information related to deaths they are investigating, and makes such records exempt from public disclosure. 3) It adds definitions for "nurse practitioner" and "physician's assistant" to the act. 4) It requires certain medical professionals to immediately notify the county medical examiner of unexpected, violent, or suspicious deaths, and to provide information about whether other individuals were involved in the same incident. The bill indicates it will only take effect if another related bill, House Bill No. 5615, is also enacted into law.