Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 368q - Medicolegal Investigations
Section 19a-409. (Formerly Sec. 19-533). - Issuance of death certificate.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall complete its investigation where reasonably possible within thirty days. Upon completion of the investigation, the Chief Medical Examiner, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, an associate medical examiner, an authorized assistant medical examiner or a pathologist designated by the Chief Medical Examiner shall file a death certificate, or a certificate supplementing that already filed, with the registrar of vital statistics for the town in which the death occurred, if known, or, if not known, for the town in which the body was found. If the deceased is unidentified, fingerprints of both hands and a photograph of the body, provided mortification has not proceeded so far or the nature of the cause of death was not such as to make identification impossible, shall be sent by said office to such registrar of vital statistics and copies shall be sent to the Department of Public Health and to the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

(1969, P.A. 699, S. 10; 1971, P.A. 412, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 486, 610; P.A. 79-47, S. 12; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 11-51, S. 134.)
History: 1971 act replaced office of medicolegal investigations with office of medical examiner and required completion of investigations “where reasonably possible, within thirty days” rather than “as soon as reasonably possible, but in any event within thirty days”; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services and made state police department a division within the department of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-47 added word “chief” to agency name and gave deputy chief medical examiner, associate medical examiners and designated pathologists power to file death certificate; Sec. 19-533 transferred to Sec. 19a-409 in 1983; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes