{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/32.1-282.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/32.1-282.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/32.1-282.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/32.1-282.html"}],"law_id":65973,"edition_id":1,"section_id":65973,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-282","catch_line":"Medical examiners","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 32-31.16; 1952, c. 318; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 475; 1979, c. 711; 2014, c. 583; 2015, c. 107; 2017, c. 170; 2018, c. 776; 2022, c. 151; 2023, c. 183.","full_text":"A\n\nThe Chief Medical Examiner may appoint for each county and city one or more medical examiners, who shall be licensed as a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse in the Commonwealth and appointed as agents of the Commonwealth, to assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with medicolegal death investigations. A physician assistant appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2952. An advanced practice registered nurse appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2957.B\n\nAt the request of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Assistant Chief Medical Examiner, or their designees, medical examiners may assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with cases requiring medicolegal death investigations in accordance with § 32.1-283.C\n\nThe term of each medical examiner appointed, other than an appointment to fill a vacancy, shall begin on the first day of October of the year of appointment. The term of each medical examiner shall be three years; however, an appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":239701,"text":"The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint for each county and city one or more medical examiners, who shall be licensed as a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse in the Commonwealth and appointed as agents of the Commonwealth, to assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with medicolegal death investigations. A physician assistant appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2952. An advanced practice registered nurse appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2957.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":239702,"text":"At the request of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Assistant Chief Medical Examiner, or their designees, medical examiners may assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with cases requiring medicolegal death investigations in accordance with § 32.1-283.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":239703,"text":"The term of each medical examiner appointed, other than an appointment to fill a vacancy, shall begin on the first day of October of the year of appointment. The term of each medical examiner shall be three years; however, an appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15516,"edition_id":1,"name":"Chief Medical Examiner and Postmortem Examinations","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13612,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:55:44","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:55:44","permalink":{"id":204385,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15516,"identifier":"1","token":"32.1\/8\/1","url":"\/32.1\/8\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13612,"edition_id":1,"name":"Postmortem Examinations and Services","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12727,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:23","permalink":{"id":204383,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13612,"identifier":"8","token":"32.1\/8","url":"\/32.1\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12727,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health","identifier":"32.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":201099,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12727,"identifier":"32.1","token":"32.1","url":"\/32.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":63189,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-277","catch_line":"Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; central and district offices and facilities","url":"\/32.1-277\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-277","metadata":false},{"id":69133,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-278","catch_line":"Appointment and qualifications of Chief Medical Examiner","url":"\/32.1-278\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-278","metadata":false},{"id":79063,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-279","catch_line":"Duties of Chief Medical Examiner; teaching legal medicine","url":"\/32.1-279\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-279","metadata":false},{"id":84728,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-280","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/32.1-280\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-280","metadata":false},{"id":67348,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-281","catch_line":"Commissioner may obtain additional services and facilities","url":"\/32.1-281\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-281","metadata":false},{"id":65973,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-282","catch_line":"Medical examiners","url":"\/32.1-282\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-282","metadata":false},{"id":68777,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-282.1","catch_line":"Per diem medicolegal death investigators","url":"\/32.1-282.1\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-282.1","metadata":false},{"id":84193,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283","catch_line":"Investigation of deaths; obtaining consent to removal of organs, etc.; fees","url":"\/32.1-283\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283","metadata":false},{"id":83516,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.1","catch_line":"State Child Fatality Review Team; membership; access to and maintenance of records; confidentiality; etc","url":"\/32.1-283.1\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.1","metadata":false},{"id":83036,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.2","catch_line":"Local and regional child fatality review teams established; membership; authority; confidentiality; immunity","url":"\/32.1-283.2\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.2","metadata":false},{"id":63867,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.3","catch_line":"Family violence fatality review teams established; model protocol and data management; membership; authority; confidentiality, etc","url":"\/32.1-283.3\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.3","metadata":false},{"id":84558,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.4","catch_line":"Confidentiality of certain information and records collected and maintained by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner","url":"\/32.1-283.4\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.4","metadata":false},{"id":60499,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.5","catch_line":"Adult Fatality Review Team; duties; membership; confidentiality; penalties; report; etc","url":"\/32.1-283.5\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.5","metadata":false},{"id":66954,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.6","catch_line":"Local and regional adult fatality review teams established; membership; authority; confidentiality; immunity","url":"\/32.1-283.6\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.6","metadata":false},{"id":64217,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.7","catch_line":"Local and regional overdose fatality review teams established; membership; authority; confidentiality; immunity","url":"\/32.1-283.7\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.7","metadata":false},{"id":74829,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-283.8","catch_line":"Maternal Mortality Review Team; duties; membership; confidentiality; penalties; report; etc","url":"\/32.1-283.8\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-283.8","metadata":false},{"id":59143,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-284","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/32.1-284\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-284","metadata":false},{"id":77911,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-285","catch_line":"Autopsies","url":"\/32.1-285\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-285","metadata":false},{"id":70536,"structure_id":15516,"section_number":"32.1-285.1","catch_line":"Death of infants under eighteen months of age; 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The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 10 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1952, chapter 318; in 1960, chapter 366; in 1975, chapter 475; in 1979, chapter 711; in 2014, chapter 583<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 107<\/a>; in 2017, chapter 170<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 776<\/a>; in 2022, chapter 151<\/a>; in 2023, chapter 183<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":62802,"section_number":"15.2-1511","catch_line":"Allowances to injured officials and employees and their dependents","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1511\/"},{"id":77104,"section_number":"27-40.1","catch_line":"Presumption as to death or disability from respiratory diseases, hypertension or heart disease","order_by":null,"url":"\/27-40.1\/"},{"id":68053,"section_number":"32.1-263","catch_line":"Filing death certificates; medical certification; investigation by Office of the Chief Medical Examiner","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-263\/"},{"id":84193,"section_number":"32.1-283","catch_line":"Investigation of deaths; obtaining consent to removal of organs, etc.; fees","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-283\/"},{"id":83036,"section_number":"32.1-283.2","catch_line":"Local and regional child fatality review teams established; membership; authority; confidentiality; immunity","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-283.2\/"},{"id":63867,"section_number":"32.1-283.3","catch_line":"Family violence fatality review teams established; model protocol and data management; membership; authority; confidentiality, etc","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-283.3\/"},{"id":66954,"section_number":"32.1-283.6","catch_line":"Local and regional adult fatality review teams established; membership; authority; confidentiality; immunity","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-283.6\/"},{"id":64217,"section_number":"32.1-283.7","catch_line":"Local and regional overdose fatality review teams established; membership; authority; confidentiality; immunity","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-283.7\/"},{"id":77911,"section_number":"32.1-285","catch_line":"Autopsies","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-285\/"},{"id":75099,"section_number":"32.1-286","catch_line":"Exhumations","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-286\/"},{"id":54369,"section_number":"32.1-309.3","catch_line":"Cremations and burials at sea","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-309.3\/"},{"id":56937,"section_number":"51.1-813","catch_line":"Disability resulting from activities in discharge of official duties","order_by":null,"url":"\/51.1-813\/"},{"id":73758,"section_number":"54.1-2807","catch_line":"Other prohibited activities","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2807\/"},{"id":77494,"section_number":"54.1-2952","catch_line":"Role of patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist on patient care teams; services that may be performed by physician assistants; responsibility of licensee; employment of physician assistants","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2952\/"},{"id":64164,"section_number":"54.1-2957","catch_line":"Licensure and practice of advanced practice registered nurses; certified nurse midwives; independent practice of certified nurse midwives","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2957\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":77494,"section_number":"54.1-2952","catch_line":"Role of patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist on patient care teams; services that may be performed by physician assistants; responsibility of licensee; employment of physician assistants","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2952\/"}],"permalink":{"id":204407,"object_type":"law","relational_id":65973,"identifier":"32.1-282","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-282","url":"\/32.1-282\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/32.1-282\/","token":"32.1\/8\/1\/32.1-282","dublin_core":{"Title":"Medical examiners","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 32.1-282","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint for each county and city one or more medical examiners, who shall be licensed as a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse in the Commonwealth and appointed as agents of the Commonwealth, to assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with medicolegal death investigations. A physician assistant appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2952<\/a>. An advanced practice registered nurse appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2957<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> At the request of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Assistant Chief Medical Examiner, or their designees, medical examiners may assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with cases requiring medicolegal death investigations in accordance with § 32.1-283<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The term of each medical examiner appointed, other than an appointment to fill a vacancy, shall begin on the first day of October of the year of appointment. The term of each medical examiner shall be three years; however, an appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nMEDICAL EXAMINERS (\u00a7 32.1-282)\n\nA. The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint for each county and city one or more\nmedical examiners, who shall be licensed as a doctor of medicine or osteopathic\nmedicine, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse in the\nCommonwealth and appointed as agents of the Commonwealth, to assist the Office\nof the Chief Medical Examiner with medicolegal death investigations. A physician\nassistant appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with\n§ 54.1-2952. An advanced practice registered nurse appointed as a medical\nexaminer shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2957.\n\nB. At the request of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Assistant Chief Medical\nExaminer, or their designees, medical examiners may assist the Office of the\nChief Medical Examiner with cases requiring medicolegal death investigations in\naccordance with § 32.1-283.\n\nC. The term of each medical examiner appointed, other than an appointment to\nfill a vacancy, shall begin on the first day of October of the year of\nappointment. The term of each medical examiner shall be three years; however, an\nappointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 32-31.16; 1952, c. 318; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 475; 1979,\nc. 711; 2014, c. 583; 2015, c. 107; 2017, c. 170; 2018, c. 776; 2022, c. 151;\n2023, c. 183.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}