AN ACT relating to deputy coroner training.

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AN ACT relating to deputy coroner training. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 72.415 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) For the purpose of enforcing [ the provisions of] KRS 72.410 to 72.470, coroners 4
and deputy coroners [ shall] have the full power and authority of peace officers in 5
this state, including the power of arrest and the authority to bear arms [,] and[ shall 6
have the power and authority] to: 7
(a) Administer oaths; 8
(b) Enter upon public or private premises for the purpose of making 9
investigations; 10
(c) Seize evidence; 11
(d) Interrogate persons; 12
(e) Require the production of medical records, books, papers, documents, or other 13
evidence; 14
(f) Impound vehicles involved in vehicular deaths; 15
(g) Employ special investigators and photographers; and 16
(h) Expend funds for the purpose of carrying out[ the provisions of] KRS 72.410 17
to 72.470. 18
The fiscal court or urban -county government shall pay all reasonable expenses 19
incurred by the coroner and his or her deputy in carrying out his or her 20
responsibilities under[ the provisions of] KRS 72.410 to 72.470. 21
(2) (a) 1. A[No] person shall not be eligible to hold the office of deputy coroner 22
unless he or she holds a high school diploma or its recognized 23
equivalent. Every deputy coroner, other than a licensed physician, shall 24
be required as a condition of office to take during every calendar year he 25
or she is in office the training course of at least eighteen (18) hours 26
provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Training or other 27
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courses approved by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet after h aving 1
completed the basic training course the first year of employment. The 2
training course shall include material developed by the cabinet and 3
approved by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on the human 4
immunodeficiency virus infection and acquire d immunodeficiency 5
syndrome. The material shall include information on known modes of 6
transmission and methods of controlling and preventing these diseases 7
with an emphasis on appropriate behavior and attitude change. 8
2. Within three (3) years of initially assuming office, every deputy coroner 9
shall be required as a condition of office to take a course of at least four 10
(4) hours provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Training that 11
shall include instruction on the grieving process and best practices for 12
providing a notice of death to a spouse or next of kin and may include 13
instruction on other similar topics, as set out in KRS 64.185(4)(b). A 14
deputy coroner that has completed the course shall not be required to 15
retake the course. 16
(b) 1. Any deputy coroner subject to the training requirements of paragraph (a) 17
of this subsection who fails to complete the mandated training shall be 18
ineligible to perform the duties of deputy coroner, and may be 19
terminated by the coroner. The coroner shall make written noti fication 20
of the deputy coroner's ineligibility to perform his or her duties to the 21
deputy coroner and to the fiscal court or the legislative body of the 22
consolidated local government, charter county government, urban -23
county government, or unified local government. 24
2. The commissioner of the Department of Criminal Justice Training, or the 25
commissioner's designee, may grant the deputy coroner an extension of no 26
more than one hundred eighty (180) days in which to complete the training 27
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requirements of this subs ection if there are extenuating circumstances 1
beyond the control of the deputy coroner that prevent that individual from 2
completing the training during the required time period. If the deputy 3
coroner is unable to complete the training due to an injury or i llness that 4
prevents that individual from performing the duties of the deputy coroner, 5
the one hundred eighty day (180) extension shall begin on the date that the 6
deputy coroner resumes performing the duties of the deputy coroner. Any 7
deputy coroner who fa ils to successfully complete the training within the 8
time period granted by the extension shall be subject to the consequences set 9
out in subparagraph 1. of this paragraph. [The deputy coroner shall regain 10
his or her eligibility upon successful recompletion of the initial basic training 11
course referenced in KRS 64.185(4), which shall be evidenced by written 12
certification provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Training to the 13
coroner. Upon receipt of the certification, the coroner shall make written 14
notification of the reinstatement of eligibility to the deputy coroner and to the 15
fiscal court or the legislative body of the consolidated local government, 16
charter county government, urban -county government, or unified local 17
government. 18
3. The compensation of a deputy coroner who becomes ineligible to 19
perform his or her duties under subparagraph 1. of this paragraph 20
shall be modified as follows: 21
a. From the coroner's written notification of ineligibility until the 22
deputy coroner begins the basic training co urse mandated by 23
subparagraph 2. of this paragraph, the deputy coroner shall receive 24
no compensation; 25
b. From the first day that the deputy coroner begins the basic training 26
course mandated by subparagraph 2. of this paragraph until written 27
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notification of course outcome is received by the coroner, the 1
deputy coroner shall be compensated at his or her previously 2
established rate of compensation; 3
c. If the deputy coroner fails the basic training course mandated by 4
subparagraph 2. of this paragraph, the deputy coroner shall receive 5
no compensation from the date of receipt of notification of failure 6
from Department of Criminal Justice Training to the coroner until 7
the deputy coroner begins anew the basic training course mandated 8
by subparagraph 2. of this parag raph, at which time the deputy 9
coroner shall be compensated at his or her previously established 10
rate of compensation; and 11
d. If the deputy coroner successfully completes the basic training 12
course mandated by subparagraph 2. of this paragraph as 13
evidenced by written certification provided by the Department of 14
Criminal Justice Training to the coroner, the deputy coroner shall 15
receive compensation as is normally determined for deputy 16
coroners pursuant to statute.] 17