2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2577/1
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2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 189
April 20, 2023 - Introduced by JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Referred to Committee
on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.
1 AN ACT to create 979.01 (5) of the statutes; relating to: requiring notification
2 to the medical examiner or coroner of any death that occurs within 24 hours of
3 presentment at or admission to certain facilities.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the NOTES provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
the bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PREFATORY NOTE: This bill was prepared for the Joint
Legislative Council Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards.
State law requires a medical examiner or coroner to determine the cause of death
for certain types of deaths. Under current law, physicians, authorities of various medical
institutions, and other persons having knowledge of a death must report certain types of
deaths, including suicide, to the sheriff, police chief, medical examiner, or coroner of the
county where the death took place.
This bill creates a requirement to contact a medical examiner or coroner in certain
circumstances to determine whether the medical examiner or coroner is required to
investigate the death. Specifically, the bill requires that, if a physician, authority, or other
person required to report deaths has knowledge of a death that occurred within 24 hours
after an individual either has presented at or is admitted to a hospital or similar
institution, whichever is earlier, that person with knowledge must contact the medical
examiner or coroner to determine whether the death is reportable under the current laws
requiring a medical examiner or coroner to investigate certain deaths.
 2023 - 2024 Legislature -2- LRB-2577/1
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ASSEMBLY BILL 189 SECTION 1
1 SECTION 1. 979.01 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
2 979.01 (5) If a person specified to report under sub. (1) has knowledge of the
3 death of any individual occurring within 24 hours after that individual either has
4 presented at or is admitted to a hospital or other facility described under sub. (1),
5 whichever is earlier, the person specified to report under sub. (1) shall immediately
6 notify the medical examiner or coroner of the county where the death took place to
7 allow the medical examiner or coroner to determine if the death is reportable under
8 sub. (1).
9 (END)