Death Investigation Accreditation

ADOPTED AS REVISED

RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges federal, state and territorial governments to provide funding and enact legislation necessary to support requiring that all offices charged with conducting medico-legal death investigation meet mandatory accreditation, certification or professional practice standards within a reasonable time frame; that in consultation and collaboration with the National Institute of Health and its the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Association of Medical Examiners, and the American Board of Medico-legal Death Investigators the federal government provide for the development of appropriate standards; require that, when possible, all death investigations be conducted under the supervision of a board certified forensic pathologist; and ensure that all death investigation facilities meet current CDC requirements.  If no board certified forensic pathologist is reasonably available, a death investigation shall be conducted by the most experienced forensic pathologist who is reasonably available and may be submitted for review to a board certified forensic pathologist.