§61-12A-1. Fatality and Mortality Review Team
(a) The Fatality and Mortality Review Team is created under the Bureau for Public Health. The Fatality and Mortality Review Team is a multidisciplinary team created to oversee and coordinate the examination, review and assessment of: (1) The deaths of all persons in West Virginia who die as a result of unintentional prescription or pharmaceutical […]
§61-12A-2. Responsibilities of the Fatality and Mortality Review Team and Advisory Panels
(a) The Fatality and Mortality Review Team shall establish the following advisory panels to carry out the purposes of this article, including: (1) An unintentional pharmaceutical drug overdose fatality review panel to examine, analyze, and review deaths resulting from unintentional prescription or pharmaceutical drug overdose;
§61-12A-3. Access to Information; Other Agencies of Government Required to Cooperate
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the Fatality and Mortality Review Team and the advisory panels established by the team pursuant to this article may request information and records as necessary to carry out its responsibilities. Records and information that may be requested under this section include: (1) Medical, dental […]
§61-12A-4. Confidentiality
(a) Proceedings, records, and opinions of the Fatality and Mortality Review Team and the advisory panels established by the team pursuant to this article are confidential and are not subject to discovery, subpoena, or introduction into evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding. This section does not limit or restrict the right to discover or […]
§61-12A-5. Required Reporting and Analysis
(a) The infant and mortality review panel shall annually analyze data to identify themes, underlying risk factors, and gaps in care, to understand factors related to deaths during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. This analysis is required to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions best practices for maternal mortality review and infant […]
§61-13-1. Findings
(a) The Legislature hereby finds that there is evidence of an increasing incidence of larger scale organized criminal activity in various parts of this State and that new statutes are necessary to protect the lives and property of the overwhelming majority of West Virginians who are law-abiding citizens. The evidence presented to the Legislature reflects […]
§61-13-2. Definitions
As used in this article: "Organized criminal enterprise" means a combination of five or more persons engaging over a period of not less than six months in one or more of the qualifying offenses set forth in this section. "Qualifying offense" means a violation of the felony provisions of section eleven, article forty-one, chapter thirty-three […]
§61-12-14. County Coroners; Appointment, Oath, etc.; Duties; Fees
The county commission of every county may appoint a coroner for the county, who shall hold the office at the pleasure of the commission and shall take the oath of office prescribed for other county officers. The county coroners shall be certified in medicolegal investigations, be continually available to perform the duties required under this […]
§61-12-15. Disposition of Unidentified and Unclaimed Remains
(a) The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall cremate unclaimed human remains and shall bury unidentified human remains from its facilities. (b) The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, with the assistance of the city of Charleston, shall locate an appropriate cemetery. (c) Unidentified remains shall be buried after 6 months and after efforts […]
§61-12-5. Certain Salaries and Expenses Paid by State
The salaries of the chief medical examiner, the salaries of all assistants and employees employed in the central office and laboratory, the expenses of maintaining the central office and laboratory and the cost of pathological, bacteriological and toxicological services rendered by persons other than the chief medical examiner and his or her assistants shall be […]