# Alabama HB544: Escambia County, powers, duties, appointment, and compensation of medical examiner further provided for Alabama HB544, Escambia County, powers, duties, appointment, and compensation of medical examiner further provided for, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Alan Baker (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-05-22 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB544-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama HB544 - State: Alabama - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Escambia County, powers, duties, appointment, and compensation of medical examiner further provided for - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-04-08 - Last action: 2025-05-22, Enacted - Sponsor: Alan Baker (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Escambia County - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (119 yes, 6 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Escambia death investigations get clearer rules: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Escambia’s examiner must investigate deaths involving unexplained causes, suspected violence, poisoning, intoxication, neglect, or unusual circumstances. Required cases also include custody and workplace deaths, possible environmental or infectious causes, certain fetal d… - Escambia families lose one autopsy option: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, families lose a specific route to request an autopsy in Escambia County. It applied when the county examiner did not consider an autopsy advisable and in the public interest. Under that rule, a state examiner or designated pathologist could perform the autopsy at the next… - New rules for Escambia medical examiners: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Alabama’s forensic sciences director appoints Escambia County’s medical examiner, who must be an Alabama-licensed physician. A four-member committee submits nominees: the county commission chair, district attorney, sheriff, and state chief medical examiner, or their desig… - Escambia sets minimum medical examiner funding: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Escambia County uses a dedicated Medical Examiner Fund, with former coroner funding redirected to it. The county commission must provide an annual amount agreed with the examiner’s office. That amount cannot fall below the Coroner’s Office appropriation in the county’s 19… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Alan Baker (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-14 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1069 | pass | 28 | 0 | 2 | | 2025-05-14 | Senate | Waggoner Petition to Cease Debate - Adopted Roll Call 1068 | pass | 24 | 6 | | | 2025-04-10 | House | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 54 | 0 | 48 | | 2025-04-10 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 773 | pass | 13 | 0 | 87 | ## Actions (17) - 2025-05-22: Enacted (House) - 2025-05-14: Waggoner Petition to Cease Debate - Adopted Roll Call 1068 (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1069 (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Ready to Enroll (House) - 2025-05-14: Enrolled (House) - 2025-05-14: Delivered to Governor (House) - 2025-05-14: Signature Requested (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Reported Out of Committee Second House (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Third Reading in House of Origin (House) - 2025-04-10: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 773 (House) - 2025-04-10: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Local Legislation (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (House) - 2025-04-09: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2025-04-08: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Local Legislation (House) - 2025-04-08: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (House) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB544-int.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB544-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE Act credits and increase funding, and to extend the sunset date for deductions… (enacted) - SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for (enacted) - SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women (enacted) - HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cannabinoid products by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board imposed (enacted) - HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for (enacted) - HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB544-int.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB544-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB52-2025rs) - [SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB331-2025rs) - [SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB102-2025rs) - [HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cann…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB445-2025rs) - [HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB357-2025rs) - [HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB349-2025rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB544-2025rs (as of 2026-10-16).