(a)        The medical examiner shall cooperate with procurement organizations to maximize the opportunity to recover anatomical gifts for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education.

(b)        If a medical examiner receives notice from a procurement organization that an anatomical gift might be available or was made with respect to a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner and a postmortem examination is going to be performed, unless the medical examiner denies recovery in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-412.24, the medical examiner or designee shall conduct a postmortem examination of the body or the body part in a manner and within a period compatible with its preservation for the purposes of the gift.

(c)        A body part may not be removed from the body of a decedent under the jurisdiction of a medical examiner for transplantation, therapy, research, or education unless the body part is the subject of an anatomical gift. The body of a decedent under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner may not be delivered to a person for research or education unless the body is the subject of an anatomical gift. This subsection does not preclude a medical examiner from performing the medicolegal investigation upon the body or body parts of a decedent under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner.

(d)       As used in this section and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-412.24, “medical examiner” includes the Chief Medical Examiner, a county medical examiner, or a designee of either. (2007-538, s. 1.)