Bill would authorize grants to train death-investigation workers

A CDC office focused on medical examiners and coroners would give grants for fellowships and job training in death investigation. Eligible recipients would include qualifying medical training programs, publicly funded death-investigation offices, and publicly funded toxicology labs that support those offices. Programs, offices, and labs must be accredited or seeking the relevant accreditation. Recipients could use no more than 15 percent of a grant for administrative costs. The CDC office must consider geographic balance, rural and urban funding, and rural needs.

Grant-backed payments and other benefits would not count as taxable income for the individual. The eligibility section covers pathology fellowship participants, coroners or death investigators, and toxicologists or pharmacologists. Each listed role has education or work requirements. Pathology fellowship participants must be in or have completed an accredited pathology residency and must never have defaulted on a public or private student loan.

The proposal would authorize $13 million per year for the grants without itself providing the money. The money would be divided among pathology fellowships, death-investigator training, and toxicology education and certification. If the money is provided, at least $7 million would support pathology fellowships, at least $3 million would support death-investigator training, and at least $3 million would support toxicology training. Fellowship funding must cover at least 40 forensic pathology fellowships. The funding authorization would cover fiscal years 2028 through 2032, inclusive.