Cabinet Affairs

ITEM 1. Respectfully submit the minutes of the June 25, 1996 Cabinet Meeting for approval.

(See Attachment 1.)

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ITEM 2. Respectfully submit the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT. July 1995 -- June 1996.

(See Attachment 2.)

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ITEM 3. Respectfully submit the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ANNUAL PERFORMANCE CONTRACT. July 1996 -- June 1997.

(See Attachment 3.)

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ITEM 4. Respectfully submit the following proposed amendments to the designated Division of Local Law Enforcement Administrative Rule:

Medical Examiners Commission. 11G-2. STANDARD INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES. .001 - Determination of Jurisdiction, Preliminary Procedures. This proposed rule change prevents unidentified deceased human remains from being cremated. It also requires the medical examiner to investigate fetal deaths (for which a fetal death certificate has been issued) before the remains can be cremated, etc.

.0031 - SIDS Autopsy Protocol. This proposed rule changes responds to Florida Statute 383.3362(4), which requires that a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) death be thoroughly investigated and autopsied by the medical examiner. The protocol had essentially already been in place throughout the medical examiner offices in Florida, but became Medical Examiners Commission policy in January, 1994. This rule change formalizes the procedure.

.004 - Physical Evidence. Embedded tissue sections are those autopsied body samples which have been preserved in paraffin wax. Since they were preserved indefinitely, they have over the years accumulated to become a fire hazard in some of the larger offices. This rule change allows these samples to be kept for at least ten years and then discarded as the medical examiner determines appropriate.

(See Attachment 4.)

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