Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed two crucial forensic pathology laws that the Mississippi Association of Pathologists (MAP) and the CAP worked together on to protect the scope of practice for pathologists and eliminate regulatory burdens.
Gov. Reeves signed a new law alleviating autopsy images regulation that included an amendment that was advocated by the MAP and the CAP on March 24. The next day, Gov. Reeves signed a second bill into law that established a new position of “Medical Examiner Investigator,” which the MAP and CAP also successfully amended. The MAP and the CAP were concerned with the legislation’s newly created position’s ambiguous requirements and advocated for changes, such as rules that such individuals be supervised by a pathologist and only be limited to an assistant role. The CAP’s partnership with the MAP strengthened advocacy efforts in Mississippi to safeguard the value of pathology.
The MAP and the CAP had worked together to convince the Mississippi legislature to amend legislation to regulate the use of autopsy images. The amended legislation was based on the CAP policy on the Restrictions on the Use of Autopsy Materials, enacted by many other states nationwide. The new HB 70 law, regulates the use of autopsy images. The original bill would have prevented the use of autopsy photos without the decedent’s family’s consent. However, the long-standing CAP policy Restrictions on the Use of Autopsy Materials, which outlines the use of autopsy materials for medical, scientific, and law enforcement teaching or training purposes, provided the decedent’s identity effectively concealed.
The MAP and the CAP secured an amendment to a second autopsy law that would establish a new position of “Medical Examiner Investigator.” The MAP and CAP attained an amendment to the Mississippi House Bill 974 requiring that the Medical Examiner Investigator position be appointed and trained, and be supervised, by the State Medical Examiner. The second law is a clear win for MAP and CAP as it secured amendments to protect the practice of pathology, pertaining to medical examiner investigator scope of practice.