Medical Examiners Commission
The Medical Examiners Act,
Chapter 406, Florida Statutes, was enacted by the 1970 Legislature in order to establish minimum and uniform standards of excellence in statewide medical examiner services.
The 9-Member Commission is Composed of the Following Categories
- Two licensed physicians who are active district medical examiners *
- One licensed funeral director *
- One county commissioner *
- The Attorney General or designated proxy
- The Secretary of Health or designated proxy
(* Appointed by the Governor)
As part of its statutorily mandated duties, the Medical Examiners Commission has certain disciplinary oversight of medical examiner activities. Commission staff provides assistance to Commission members on issues related to the statutory mandates of the Commission, legislative issues, maintenance of Commission Rules and other administrative issues.
The Commission interacts with local, state and federal agencies in an effort to enhance medical examiners’ role of assisting the citizens of Florida in the area of death investigations and reporting.
Primary Responsibilities of the Commission and Support Staff
- Conducts administrative investigations into allegations of misconduct by medical examiners.
- Administers quarterly Commission meetings providing meeting packet containing staff researched agenda items with appropriate background documentation.
- Surveys one third of Florida’s District Medical Examiner (DME) constituents each year for reappointments by the Governor.
- Assists the chair of local search committees to follow Rule-mandated procedures in filling a DME vacancy.
- Monitors legislative actions for proposed laws which may affect the medical examiner system and guides Commission approved proposed rules and rule changes through the rule making process.
- Responds to correspondence or telephone inquiries from the public and media.
- Publishes an Annual Medical Examiners Report, the Annual and Interim Drugs in Deceased Persons Report and other ad hoc reports requested by FDLE or other state agencies.
Links to Information Dealing With Medical Examiner Activities
- To contact Veterans Affairs to determine if an unclaimed body has the right to burial in a National Cemetery: www.cem.va.gov/
- Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System (FEMORS) www.femors.org