Delaware General Assembly

Signed 6/24/14

The General Assembly has ended, the current status is the final status.

6/5/14

Marshall

Sen. Hall-Long
Reps. Mitchell, Barbieri

Sen. Blevins, Bushweller, Henry, Lavelle, McBride, Pettyjohn, F Simpson, Townsend
Reps. Baumbach, Blakey, Bolden, Brady, Briggs King, Carson, Dukes, Gray, Hudson, Jaques, Q. Johnson, Keeley, Kenton, Longhurst, Miro, Mulrooney, Osienski, Outten, Paradee, Peterman, Potter, Ramone, Schwartzkopf, Scott, B. Short, D. Short, Smyk, Spiegelman, Viola, Walker, D.E. Williams, Wilson

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10, 11, 13, 16, 21, 23, AND 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER AND THE DIVISION OF FORENSIC SCIENCE.

This Act reorganizes the provision of many forensic sciences into a new Division of Forensic Science organized within the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The proposed new Division of Forensic Science would consist of the operations previously organized in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner within the Department of Health and Social Services. Section 1 of the Act reorganizes the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as the Division of Forensic Science. The Division shall be led by the Director of the Division of Forensic Science, who shall appoint the Chief Medical Examiner and assistant medical examiners and other personnel in the Division. The Director and the Chief Medical Examiner shall be subject to the same personnel policies as other division directors in the department. Employees of the Division must seek prior written approval of the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to maintain employment outside of the Division. Section 1 further creates the Commission on Forensic Science, which shall provide oversight and supervision for the Division. Sections 2 through 5 strike provisions relating to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner from the chapter governing the Department of Health and Social Services, including certain employment provisions applicable to the Chief Medical Examiner. Sections 6 through 8 create the Division of Forensic Science within the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Sections 9 through 18 make conforming changes to other titles of the Delaware Code to reflect the new organization of the Division of Forensic Science, including working with the courts and law enforcement (sections 9, 10 and 11), participation on the Criminal Justice Council (section 12), providing fatal incident reviews to the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (section 13), investigation of deaths (sections 14 and 15), and operating a vehicle or vessel under the influence (sections 16 through 18). Section 19 provides that the Commission on Forensic Science shall study whether any forensic sciences should be consolidated with the Division of Forensic Science, and whether death investigations should occur outside the Division, and requires the Commission to report to the Governor and General Assembly by January 31, 2015. Sections 20 and 21 provide that the Act shall take effect July 1, 2014 or ten days following its enactment, whichever is later, and that provision of the Act are intended to be severable.

N/A

N/A

Takes effect upon being signed into law

N/A

View HTML View PDF