Sec. 21. (a) A coroner shall cooperate with procurement organizations to maximize the opportunity to recover anatomical gifts for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, education, or training.

     (b) If a coroner receives notice from a procurement organization that an anatomical gift might be available or was made with respect to a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of the coroner and a postmortem examination is going to be performed, unless the coroner denies recovery in accordance with IC 36-2-14-22.6(f), the coroner or designee shall, when practicable, conduct a postmortem examination of the body or the part in a manner and within a period compatible with its preservation for the purposes of the gift. If a coroner conducts a postmortem examination outside of a compatible period, the coroner must document why examination occurred outside of a compatible period. It is considered sufficient documentation if the coroner documents that additional time was necessary to conduct an adequate medicolegal examination.

     (c) A part may not be removed from the body of a decedent under the jurisdiction of a coroner for transplantation, therapy, research, or education unless the part is the subject of an anatomical gift. The body of a decedent under the jurisdiction of the coroner may not be delivered to a person for research or education unless the body is the subject of an anatomical gift. This subsection does not preclude a coroner or pathologist from performing the medicolegal investigation upon the body or parts of a decedent under the jurisdiction of the coroner or from using the body or parts of a decedent under the jurisdiction of the coroner for the purposes of research, education, or training required by the coroner or pathologist.

As added by P.L.147-2007, SEC.12.