Title 63, Title 63 — Public Health and Safety

WHEREAS, the separation of powers, both between the branches of the Federal government and between Federal and State authority, is essential to the preservation of individual liberty; WHEREAS, the Constitution creates a Federal government of limited and enumerated powers, and res…

A. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the State Department of Health shall collaborate to identify benchmarks and develop goals to reduce the incidence rates of, improve health care services for, and control complications resulting from diabetes. B. The Authority and the Depa…

requirement. A. As used in this act: 1. "Phototherapy device" means equipment that emits ultraviolet radiation and is used in the diagnosis or treatment of disease or injury; 2. "Tanning device" means equipment that emits electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths in the air be…

Requirements. A. As used in this section: 1. "Clinical practice guidelines" means a systematically developed statement to assist decision-making by healthcare providers and patients about appropriate healthcare or specific clinical circumstances and conditions; 2. "Health insuran…

treat advanced metastatic cancer and associated conditions. For the purpose of prohibiting step therapy requirements for certain prescription drugs to treat advanced metastatic cancer and associated conditions. As used in this section: 1. "Associated conditions" means the symptom…

advanced metastatic cancer and associated conditions without proving step therapy. A. A health benefit plan that provides coverage for advanced metastatic cancer and associated conditions may not require, before the health benefit plan provides coverage of a prescription drug app…

protocol — Circumstances requiring an exception. A. "Health benefit plan" means a plan as defined pursuant to Section 6060.4 of Title 36 of the Oklahoma Statutes, that provides coverage for invasive or noninvasive mechanical ventilation to treat chronic respiratory failure conseq…

There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund to be designated the "Oklahoma Sports Eye Safety Program Revolving Fund" administered by the State Department of Health. The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist o…

Organization – Rules - Records of bodies received and distributed - Exemptions. A. There is hereby re-created, to continue until July 1, 2030, in accordance with the provisions of the Oklahoma Sunset Law, an oversight board to be known as the State Anatomical Board, to be compose…

custody to Anatomical Board. In the event that the body of any deceased person required to be buried or cremated at public expense shall enter into the custody of a government official, such as a warden, superintendent, administrator or officer of any state, county or municipal o…

attorney or consent of Anatomical Board required. It is unlawful for any person or persons to perform an autopsy on any dead human body mentioned in this article, except at the request of the Chief Medical Examiner or a district attorney of the county where such body is located, …

Compensation - Meetings. The Board of Medicolegal Investigations is hereby re- created. The members of the Board shall be: 1. The Director of the State Bureau of Investigation, or a designee; 2. The State Commissioner of Health, or a designee; 3. The Dean of the College of Medici…

The Board is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary or appropriate to carry out effectively the provisions of this act. Such rules and regulations shall be filed with the Secretary of State and shall not be effective until ten (10) days after the date of …

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the State of Oklahoma is hereby established to be operated under the control and supervision of the Board. The Office shall be directed by the Chief Medical Examiner, and the Chief Medical Examiner may employ such other staff members as…

The Board of Medicolegal Investigations shall appoint a Chief Medical Examiner who shall be a physician licensed to practice in Oklahoma and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology or the American Osteopathic Board of Pathology in forensic pathology. The Chief Medical Exam…

The Chief Medical Examiner shall be directly responsible to the Board for the performance of the duties provided for in this act and for the administration of the office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The Chief Medical Examiner may, however, delegate specific duties to competent …

The Office of the State Medical Examiner and the Board of Medicolegal Investigations are authorized to relocate the Office of the State Medical Examiner to a location determined by the Board as provided by law. Added by Laws 2010, c. 329, § 1, emerg. eff. June 6, 2010. Amended by…

The Board shall provide for a central and eastern office and shall see that there is maintained a laboratory suitably equipped with facilities for performance of the duties imposed by Section 931 et seq. of this title. Added by Laws 1961, p. 605, § 6, eff. Jan. 2, 1962. Amended b…

examiners. The Chief Medical Examiner shall appoint medical examiners for the state. Each medical examiner so appointed shall be a Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine, shall hold a valid board certification to practice forensic pathology in Oklahoma, and shall hold office …

A. All human deaths of the types listed herein shall be investigated as provided by law: 1. Violent deaths, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal, or accidental; 2. Deaths under suspicious, unusual or unnatural circumstances; 3. Deaths related to disease which might constitute a…

material. A. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Chief Medical Examiner shall produce records, documents, evidence or other material of any nature only upon the order of a court of competent jurisdiction. An interested party or litigant in a civil or criminal action may make…

approval to donees - Distribution. A. The Anatomical Board of the State of Oklahoma, or its duly authorized agent, shall take and receive such unclaimed or donated bodies and distribute them on requisition to and among institutions to be used for anatomical purposes as approved b…

of deaths. A. All law enforcement officers and other state and county officials shall cooperate with the Chief Medical Examiner and all other medical examiners in making investigations required pursuant to the provisions of Sections 931 through 954 of this title. The officials an…

No funeral establishment or its employees shall be liable for the action, per se, of removing a body when ordered to do so by any public official having the authority to order such removal. Added by Laws 1999, c. 188, § 1, emerg. eff. May 21, 1999.

A. Upon receipt of notice of death of any person which under Section 931 et seq. of this title is subject to investigation, a representative death investigator from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall immediately initiate an investigation and shall document in detail, …

Upon completion of an investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the body of the deceased shall be released to the person legally entitled to the custody thereof, or his or her representative, unless: 1. A release is signed by the person legally entitled to the cu…

When attending a patient at time of death, physicians shall take care that the remains of the deceased are left in such a state that will not hinder or unnecessarily complicate the preparation for burial or other disposition, provided that nothing herein shall interfere with or r…

A. 1. Upon completion of an investigation, the medical examiner shall reduce his or her findings to writing upon the form supplied to the medical examiner which shall be promptly sent to the Chief Medical Examiner by mail. 2. If the medical examiner finds that the deceased had il…

A. The next of kin of the deceased may appeal the findings of the medical examiner to the district court of Oklahoma County under a petition for judicial review within two (2) years from the completion of the report. Such appeal shall be made in writing, shall state the nature an…

of samples. A. When necessary in connection with an investigation to determine the cause and/or manner of death and when the public interest requires it, the Chief Medical Examiner, his or her designee or a district attorney shall require and authorize an autopsy to be conducted.…

deceased. A. If, in the course of an investigation, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner declines to conduct an autopsy under Section 944 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the Office shall make a good faith effort to so inform the person legally entitled to the custody of…

A. When properly authorized, an autopsy shall be performed by the Chief Medical Examiner or such person as may be designated by him or her for such purpose. The Chief Medical Examiner or a person designated by him or her may authorize arterial embalming of the body prior to the a…

A. If death occurred under circumstances as enumerated in Section 938 of this title, and if the body has been buried without proper certification of death, it shall be the duty of the investigating official, upon ascertaining such facts, to notify the Chief Medical Examiner and t…

A. The certification of death of any person whose death is investigated under Section 931 et seq. of this title shall be made by the Chief Medical Examiner or his or her designee upon a medical examiner death certificate provided by the State Registrar of Vital Statistics. Such d…

screens. A. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) shall store biological specimens in the control of the OCME for the potential purpose of independent analyses in matters of civil law, only upon receipt of a written request for such storage and payment of a storage fee.…

A. The Board of Medicolegal Investigations may establish a fee schedule for forensic services, permits and reports rendered to members of the public and other agencies. 1. No fee schedule may be established or amended by the Board except during a regular legislative session. The …

and Children. A. 1. a. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall keep full and complete records, properly indexed, giving the name, if known, of every person whose death is investigated, the place where the body was found, the date, cause, and manner of death and all other r…

After an unclaimed body has been received by the Anatomical Board’s agent, and has been preserved and stored, the body may be claimed within thirty (30) days after death, by relatives, friends, fraternal or charitable organizations, for burial or cremation, at the expense of the …

The Chief Medical Examiner shall maintain a contract transport service authorized to transport bodies of deceased persons of whose death he or she is officially informed to an appropriate place for autopsy or for the performance of scientific tests; provided that, after the autop…

It is specifically provided that no embalmer, funeral director, or employee of a funeral home shall be employed in any capacity with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, nor shall any member of law enforcement including but not limited to peace officers, deputy sheriffs, and…

Any person who willfully fails to comply with the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed thirty (30) days, or by both …

A. The Board of Medicolegal Investigations is authorized to accept grants, gifts, fees or funds from persons, associations, corporations, or foundations for any purpose authorized by the Board. B. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Office of th…

- Record of bodies received. Any and all schools, colleges, and persons who may be designated by the Anatomical Board shall be, and are, authorized to dissect, operate upon, examine and experiment upon bodies distributed to them by the Board's agent and no others. The schools, co…

After the institutions within the State of Oklahoma to whom the bodies have been distributed have completed the scientific study of the bodies, the remains thereof shall in every case be returned to the Anatomical Board for final disposition by cremation. Bodies sent to other sta…

No county, municipality, officer, agent or servant thereof, shall incur any expense by reason of the delivery or distribution of any such body. All expenses for the storage, distribution or any other related services involved in the use of the bodies shall be borne by those insti…

or conductorprohibited. No person, firm, corporation or association shall, individually or through an agent or employee and no person as an agent or employee of any person, firm, corporation or association, shall perform or permit any agent or employee to perform any function or …

buildings within six feet of lines prohibited. No person, firm, corporation or association shall, individually or through an agent or employee, and no person as an agent or employee of any person, firm, corporation or association, shall store, operate, erect, maintain, move or tr…

apparatus. No person, firm, corporation or association shall, individually or through an agent or employee, or as an agent or employee, operate any crane, derrick, power shovel, drilling rig, hoisting equipment, or similar apparatus, any part of which is capable of vertical, late…

Every person, firm, corporation, association, and every agent or employee of any such person, firm, corporation, or association, who violates any of the provisions of this act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be liable to a fine of not more th…

For the purpose of this act: (a) "high voltage" shall mean a voltage in excess of seven hundred fifty (750) volts between conductors, or between any single conductor and the ground; (b) "overhead lines or overhead conductors" shall mean all bare or insulated electrical conductors…