Bill > HB2616

This bill amends the Illinois Counties Code to require coroners to conduct a preliminary investigation when they know or are informed of a maternal or fetal death due to an abortion. Specifically, the bill adds "maternal or fetal death due to abortion" to the list of circumstances that trigger a mandatory coroner investigation, alongside other serious or suspicious death scenarios such as sudden or violent deaths, deaths related to sex crimes, deaths with unclear circumstances, and deaths where the cause is undetermined. The coroner is required to go to the location of the deceased body, take charge of the body, and make a preliminary investigation into the death's circumstances. This new provision appears to create an additional layer of official scrutiny for deaths related to abortions, potentially expanding the scope of coroner investigations in cases involving reproductive healthcare. The bill becomes effective immediately upon enactment, meaning coroners would need to implement this new investigative requirement right away.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2616&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104