A. 1. Upon completion of an investigation, the medical examiner shall reduce his or her findings to writing upon the form supplied to the medical examiner which shall be promptly sent to the Chief Medical Examiner by mail.

2. If the medical examiner finds that the deceased had illicit, prescription or nonprescription drugs in his or her system at the time of death, the medical examiner shall document in his or her findings if the death was:

a.a natural or accidental death with drug involvement,

b.a homicide by drugs,

c.a suicide by drug overdose, or

d.a death with drug involvement, but the manner of death could not be determined.

3. A fatality shall not be considered a drug-related death unless the medical examiner determines that the drug or drugs present in the deceased materially contributed to the death.

B. Copies of reports shall be furnished by the Chief Medical Examiner to investigating agencies having official interest therein. Copies of reports shall also be furnished to the spouse of the deceased or any person within one degree of consanguinity of the deceased upon request and within five (5) business days of the request once the cause and manner of death have been determined and the death certificate has been issued.

Added by Laws 1961, p. 606, § 12, eff. Jan. 2, 1962. Amended by Laws 1963, c. 302, § 3, emerg. eff. June 19, 1963; Laws 1972, c. 246, § 11, emerg. eff. April 7, 1972; Laws 2011, c. 344, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2011; Laws 2014, c. 293, § 11, eff. Nov. 1, 2014.