1. The county coroner in any county not having a charter form of government shall receive an annual salary computed on a basis as set forth in the following schedule as well as any adjustment authorized under subsection 3 of section 50.327. The provisions of this section shall not permit or require a reduction in the amount of compensation being paid for the office of coroner on January 1, 1997:

2. One thousand dollars of the salary authorized in this section shall be payable to the coroner only if the coroner has completed at least twenty hours of classroom instruction each calendar year as established by the Coroner Standards and Training Commission unless exempted from the training by the Missouri Coroners’ and Medical Examiners’ Association for good cause. The Missouri Coroners’ and Medical Examiners’ Association shall provide a certificate of completion to each coroner who completes the training program and shall send a list of certified coroners to the treasurer of each county and the department of health and senior services. The Coroner Standards and Training Commission may certify training programs that satisfy the requirements of this section in lieu of the training provided by the Missouri Coroners’ and Medical Examiners’ Association. Certified training completion shall be submitted to the Missouri Coroners’ and Medical Examiners’ Association which, upon validating the certified training, shall submit the individual’s name to the county treasurer and department of health and senior services indicating the individual is compliant with the training requirements. Expenses incurred for attending the training session may be reimbursed to the county coroner in the same manner as other expenses as may be appropriated for that purpose. All elected or appointed coroners, deputy coroners, and assistants to the coroner shall complete the annual training described in this subsection within six months of election or appointment.

3. The county coroner in any county not having a charter form of government shall not, except upon two-thirds vote of all the members of the salary commission, receive an annual compensation in an amount less than the total compensation being received for the office of county coroner in the particular county for services rendered or performed on the date the salary commission votes.

4. For the term beginning in 1997, the compensation of the coroner, in counties in which the salary commission has not voted to pay one hundred percent of the maximum allowable salary, shall be a percentage of the maximum allowable salary established by this section. The percentage applied shall be the same percentage of the maximum allowable salary received or allowed, whichever is greater, to the presiding commissioner or sheriff, whichever is greater, of that county for the year beginning January 1, 1997. In those counties in which the salary commission has voted to pay one hundred percent of the maximum allowable salary, the compensation of the coroner shall be based on the maximum allowable salary in effect at each time a coroner’s term of office commences following the vote to pay one hundred percent of the maximum allowable compensation. Subsequent compensation shall be determined as provided in section 50.333.

5. Effective January 1, 1997, the county coroner in any county not having a charter form of government may, upon the approval of the county commission, receive additional compensation for any month during which investigations or other services are performed for three or more decedents in the same incident during such month. The additional compensation shall be an amount that when added to the regular compensation the sum shall equal the monthly compensation of the county sheriff.