(a) The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint regional medical examiners, who shall be licensed doctors of medicine or osteopathy geographically distributed throughout the State. A regional medical examiner may be licensed in Vermont or in another state. The regional medical examiners shall serve indefinite terms at the pleasure of the Chief Medical Examiner.

(b) The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint assistant medical examiners to assist in performing the duties of the Chief Medical Examiner. An assistant medical examiner shall be an individual with extensive experience in the medical profession which may include medicine, nursing, emergency medical work, or any other medical profession deemed by the Chief Medical Examiner to provide sufficient health care experience, including an individual licensed in a medical profession in another state. An assistant medical examiner shall serve at the pleasure of and be under the direction and supervision of the Chief Medical Examiner. The Chief Medical Examiner may assign assistant medical examiners to work under the supervision of a regional medical examiner. An assistant medical examiner shall not perform autopsies except within his or her defined scope of practice.

(c) An assistant medical examiner shall meet the training and certification requirements established by the Chief Medical Examiner and approved by the Commissioner. (Amended 1961, No. 43; 1969, No. 128, § 1; 1971, No. 33, § 5, eff. July 1, 1971; 1999, No. 45, § 1.)