SB536 • 2025

Provides that a licensed physician associate or nurse practitioner may be a medical examiner.

Healthcare

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Senator Patterson, Senator Sollman,
Last action: 2025-06-06
Official status: Chapter Number Assigned
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Provides that a licensed physician associate or nurse practitioner may be a medical examiner.

Digest: The Act lets two more types of health care practitioners be medical examiners.

What This Bill Does

Digest: The Act lets two more types of health care practitioners be medical examiners.
(Flesch Readability Score: 63.6).
Provides that a licensed physician associate or nurse practitioner may be a medical examiner.
Includes a licensure requirement for a physician who serves as a medical examiner.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2025-06-06 Senate
Chapter 223, 2025 Laws.
2025-06-06 Senate
Effective date, January 1, 2026.
2025-05-28 Senate
Governor signed.
2025-05-22 House
Speaker signed.
2025-05-21 Senate
President signed.
2025-05-20 Senate
Senate concurred in House amendments and repassed bill. Ayes, 26; Nays, 3--Girod, Robinson, Smith DB; Excused, 1--Anderson.
2025-05-20 Senate
Smith DB granted unanimous consent to change vote from aye to nay.
2025-05-15 House
Third reading. Carried by Nelson. Passed. Ayes, 51; Nays, 2--Evans, Yunker; Excused, 6--Edwards, Nguyen H, Owens, Smith G, Wallan, Wright.
2025-05-14 House
Rules suspended. Carried over to May 15, 2025 Calendar.
2025-05-13 House
Second reading.
2025-05-12 House
Recommendation: Do pass with amendments and be printed A-Engrossed.
2025-05-06 House
Work Session held.
2025-04-22 House
Public Hearing held.
2025-04-17 House
Public Hearing cancelled.
2025-03-27 House
Referred to Behavioral Health and Health Care.
2025-03-25 House
First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.
2025-03-24 Senate
Third reading. Carried by Patterson. Passed. Ayes, 27; Nays, 2--Girod, Smith DB; Excused, 1--Woods.
2025-03-20 Senate
Carried over to 03-24 by unanimous consent.
2025-03-18 Senate
Recommendation: Do pass.
2025-03-18 Senate
Second reading.
2025-03-11 Senate
Work Session held.
2025-02-25 Senate
Public Hearing held.
2025-01-17 Senate
Referred to Health Care.
2025-01-13 Senate
Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.

Official Summary Text

Digest: The Act lets two more types of health care practitioners be medical examiners. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.6).
Provides that a licensed physician associate or nurse practitioner may be a medical examiner. Includes a licensure requirement for a physician who serves as a medical examiner.
Relating to: Relating to medical examiners.
Current location: Chapter Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Enrolled
Senate Bill 536
Sponsored by Senator PATTERSON; Senator SOLLMAN (Presession filed.)
CHAPTER .................................................
AN ACT
Relating to medical examiners; amending ORS 146.003.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 146.003 is amended to read:
146.003. As used in ORS 146.003 to 146.189 and 146.710 to 146.992, unless the context requires
otherwise:
(1) “Approved laboratory” means a laboratory approved by the Chief Medical Examiner as
competent to perform the blood sample analysis required by ORS 146.113 (2).
(2) “Assistant district medical examiner” means a physician licensed under ORS chapter 677,
physician associate licensed under ORS 677.505 to 677.525 or nurse practitioner licensed under
ORS 678.375 to 678.390 appointed by the district medical examiner to investigate and certify deaths
within a county or district.
(3) “Cause of death” means the primary or basic disease process or injury ending life.
(4) “Death requiring investigation” means the death of a person occurring in any one of the
circumstances set forth in ORS 146.090.
(5) “District medical examiner” means a physician licensed under ORS chapter 677, physician
associate licensed under ORS 677.505 to 677.525 or nurse practitioner licensed under ORS
678.375 to 678.390 appointed by the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate and certify deaths within
a county or district, including a Deputy State Medical Examiner.
(6) “Law enforcement agency” means a county sheriff’s office, municipal police department, po-
lice department established by a university under ORS 352.121 or 353.125 and the Oregon State Po-
lice.
(7) “Legal intervention” includes an execution pursuant to ORS 137.463, 137.467 and 137.473 and
other legal use of force resulting in death.
(8) “Manner of death” means the designation of the probable mode of production of the cause
of death, including natural, accidental, suicidal, homicidal, legal intervention or undetermined.
(9) “Medical examiner” means a physician licensed under ORS chapter 677, physician asso-
ciate licensed under ORS 677.505 to 677.525 or nurse practitioner licensed under ORS 678.375
to 678.390 appointed as provided by ORS 146.003 to 146.189 to investigate and certify the cause and
manner of deaths requiring investigation, including the Chief Medical Examiner.
(10) “Medical-legal death investigator” means a person appointed by the district medical exam-
iner to assist in the investigation of deaths within a county.
(11) “Pathologist” means a physician [ holding a current license to practice medicine and surgery
and] licensed under ORS chapter 677 who is eligible for certification by the American Board of
Enrolled Senate Bill 536 (SB 536-A) Page 1
Pathology , or its successor organization, as approved by the State Medical Examiner Advisory
Board.
(12) “Unidentified human remains” does not include human remains that are unidentified human
remains that are part of an archaeological site or suspected of being Native American and covered
under ORS chapters 97 and 390 and ORS 358.905 to 358.961.
Passed by Senate March 24, 2025
Repassed by Senate May 20, 2025
..................................................................................
Obadiah Rutledge, Secretary of Senate
..................................................................................
Rob Wagner, President of Senate
Passed by House May 15, 2025
..................................................................................
Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
Received by Governor:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
Approved:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tina Kotek, Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tobias Read, Secretary of State
Enrolled Senate Bill 536 (SB 536-A) Page 2