New Hampshire Administrative Code

The DCME shall meet the qualification requirements set forth in RSA 611-A:1-a. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 2002.02 #8937, eff 7-14-07

Each DME shall be a physician licensed pursuant to RSA 328-D who has met the training requirements set forth in Jus 2002.05. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 2002.03 #8937, eff 7-14-07

(a) Each ADME shall be skilled and knowledgeable in the science of medicine, either through experience, training, or education. (b) The CME shall determine whether a candidate's particular experience, training, or education qualifies that person to serve as an ADME, in conformanc…

(a) Prior to appointment as a DME or an ADME, each candidate shall complete the training in death investigation provided through the OCME or an equivalent training program from another jurisdiction as determined by the CME or DCME. The training shall be both didactic and clinical…

(a) After full attendance and completion of the didactic training component, and accumulation of the requisite clinical experiences, the CME shall certify the selected candidate as either a DME or ADME, consistent with the education, training and experience of the candidate. (b) …

(a) On an annual basis the OCME shall provide to the following persons and entities a written list of each appointed DME or ADME expected to conduct investigations in the jurisdiction of that person or entity:(1) The county attorney; (2) The county sheriff dispatchers, except tha…

(a) The following existing state facilities shall be considered to be qualified, pursuant to RSA 611-A:1, II(c), for the purpose of conducting testing, examination, or analysis of samples collected in a death investigation: (1) The laboratories of the department of health and hum…

(a) The CME shall, pursuant to RSA 611-A:1, provide professional direction and supervision to the DCME and all medical examiners. (b) The DCME shall, pursuant to RSA 611-A:1-a, provide professional direction and supervision to all medical examiners in the absence of the CME or wh…

(a) Pursuant to RSA 611:3, it shall be the duty of each medical examiner, having taken the oath of office, to make investigations in medicolegal cases. A medicolegal case shall exist when death is pronounced or remains are found indicating that a human has died and that death is …

(a) When remains are intended to be cremated or buried at sea, the responding ME shall investigate the death as set forth in this section. (b) Prior to the release of the remains for cremation or burial at sea, "Cremation Certification" form ME-6, as described in Jus 2005.06, sha…

A potential medicolegal case shall commence when a local law enforcement agency or a health care facility has discovered, or has been contacted regarding the discovery of remains under circumstances that appear to fall within those enumerated in RSA 611:3. The local law enforceme…

(a) The ME who has been contacted shall investigate the potential case to determine whether the OCME shall accept or decline jurisdiction. The investigation shall consist of, at a minimum, a telephone consultation with the reporting agency. If necessary, the ME shall confer with …

(a) Upon discovery of remains in a potentially medicolegal case, neither the remains nor any personal effects or possible weapons in the immediate vicinity of the remains shall be disturbed except as permitted by the responding ME. (b) Prior to moving remains or other evidence pu…

(a) Upon arrival at the location of the remains, the ME shall take control of the scene in coordination with the responding law enforcement agency so as to preserve any evidence that might help to establish identity of the deceased, the cause of death, and the manner of death. (b…

The responding ME shall investigate and, if possible, establish the identity of the deceased using the following methodology: (a) If a companion is present who was familiar with the deceased prior to the time of incapacitation or death, such companion's identification of the dece…

The decision as to whether an autopsy will be performed shall, pursuant to RSA 611:7, rest with the county attorney of the county in which the remains were found, the attorney general, or the CME or the CME's designee. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 2004.07 #8937, eff 7-14-07

(a) Examination of the remains shall be unrestricted and include, to the extent indicated for the determination of the cause of death and manner of death or the preservation of evidence, any of the following types of examination: (1) External and internal; (2) Photographic or any…

(a) The CME, DCME, or CME's designee shall prepare a report detailing the observations and findings for each autopsy performed. Such report shall indicate whether such observations and findings are within normal limits for the individual organs or anatomical structures and the fo…

The remains shall be released by the OCME, pursuant to RSA 611:14, upon a determination that no autopsy shall be ordered, or, if an external examination has been done after specimens have been obtained, or, if an autopsy has been ordered, once the autopsy and all testing, except …

(a) Autopsy reports shall be released only as specified in RSA 611-A:8 and this section. (b) The OCME shall treat autopsy reports as confidential medical records. The OCME shall release a copy of an autopsy report to the decedent's next of kin, a law enforcement agency or governm…

(a) Following a suspected or documented unprotected exposure, as defined in RSA 141-G:1, from a deceased person in a medicolegal case, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, emergency responders, and medical personnel requesting testing, results, or both, shall not make such re…

(a) The responding ME shall complete the appropriate portions of Form ME-1 "DME/ADME Investigation Report" for each death investigated. When the OCME declines jurisdiction after an initial investigation, the responding ME shall complete only those sections specifically designated…

(a) The responding ME shall complete Form ME-2 "Sudden Infant Death Investigation Report" for each such death investigated. Every page upon which information has been recorded shall be signed and dated by the responding ME. (b) The responding ME shall record, to the extent ascert…

(a) The OCME shall treat investigation reports as confidential medical records pursuant to RSA 91-A, applicable federal law and consistent with RSA 611-A:8, under which comparable information has been deemed confidential. The OCME shall on request release a copy of an investigati…

(a) In accordance with Jus 2004.05(e), the responding ME shall complete Form ME-3 "Drug/Medication Inventory Form" for each death investigation in which the responding ME gathers or is given custody of medications that might be relevant to such investigation. (b) The responding M…

(a) The responding ME shall complete Form ME-4 "Evidence or Property Inventory and Chain of Custody Form" for each death investigation in which the responding ME gathers or is given custody of evidence, property, or personal effects found on or with the body of the deceased, othe…

(a) Prior to transport to the morgue for autopsy, the responding ME shall complete and affix Form ME-5 "Identification Tag" to each set of remains for which an autopsy will be performed. (b) The responding ME shall provide the following information, to the extent known, on Form M…

The following shall be recorded on Form ME-6 "Cremation Certification" by the responding ME: (a) The name of the decedent; (b) The date and time of death; (c) The place of death; (d) The age and date of birth of the decedent; (e) The name of the crematory and, if the ME viewed th…

(a) The responding ME shall complete Form ME-7, "Log of Unidentified Remains" for each death investigation where multiple, potentially human remains are found but cannot be immediately identified. (b) The responding ME shall list as many different items on a single form as space …

(a) The responding ME shall complete Form ME-8, "Report of Unidentified Remains" for each death investigation in which potentially human remains are found but cannot be immediately identified. (b) The responding ME shall record the following information for each death investigati…

(a) Each responding ME shall receive the following fees, to the extent that such are actually performed or incurred: (1) For each investigation, a fee of $125; (2) For each telephone consultation for cases reported but jurisdiction declined by the OCME, a fee of $25; (3) Mileage …

"Authorized agent" means a person or entity authorized to electronically file documents with the charitable trusts unit on behalf of a charitable trust, fundraising counsel, or paid solicitor as a result of filing with the charitable trusts unit a completed form NHCT-50 "Authoriz…

"Charitable gift annuity" means "charitable gift annuity" as defined in RSA 403-E:1, II. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.02 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January …

"Charitable lead annuity trust" means an irrevocable trust that distributes payments each year to a charitable beneficiary or beneficiaries for a fixed term of years or during the grantor's lifetime, and after the term ends, distributes the remaining assets to the grantor or the …

"Charitable organization" means "charitable organization" as defined in RSA 7:21, II(b). Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.04 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January …

"Charitable purpose" means an intention or mission that is benevolent, philanthropic, patriotic, educational, humane, recreational, scientific, public health, environmental conservation, civic, or otherwise beneficial to the public interest. The term includes any purposes that co…

"Charitable remainder trust" means an irrevocable trust that distributes amounts to non-charitable beneficiaries for a specified period and thereafter distributes all or a portion of the remainder to a charitable beneficiary or beneficiaries. The term includes a charitable remain…

"Charitable sales promotion" means "charitable sales promotion" as defined in RSA 7:21, I. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.07 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed Januar…

"Charitable trust" means "charitable trust" as defined in RSA 7:21, II(a) and (b). Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.08 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January 9, 202…

"Charitable trusts unit" means the office of the director of charitable trusts of the New Hampshire department of justice. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.09 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 A…

"Charity care" means "charity care" as defined in RSA 7:32-d, I. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.10 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January 9, 2025, Proposed by #14…

"Commercial co-venturer" means "commercial co-venturer" as defined in RSA 7:21, III. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.11 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January 9, 2…

"Community" means "community" as defined in RSA 7:32-d, II. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.12 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January 9, 2025, Proposed by #14162, …

"Community benefits plan" means "community benefits plan" as defined in RSA 7:32-d, IV. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.13 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January 9…

"Community needs" means community health care needs. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.14 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January 9, 2025, Proposed by #14162, Effecti…

"Community needs assessment" means "community needs assessment" as described in RSA 7:32-f as the "identification and prioritization of community needs that the health care charitable trust can address directly, or in collaboration with others." Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.1…

"Director" means the director of charitable trusts, appointed pursuant to RSA 7:20. Notes N.H. Admin. Code § Jus 401.16 Derived from Volume XLII Number 45, Filed November 10, 2022, Proposed by #13455, Effective 10/7/2022, Expires 10/7/2032 Amended by Number 2, Filed January 9, 20…