State Rep. Voss introduces bill to assist Missouri coroners

District 147 Rep. John Voss on Wednesday, Jan. 29, announced the introduction of House Bill 1122, which would update the standards and requirements of Missouri county coroners.

Even though there's incentivized optional training available for county coroners, Missouri does not currently require credentialing or training requirements for coroners.

If passed, the bill would mandate yearly training for both coroners and deputy coroners, increase pay to be on par with other county officials and establish a grant program to help cover training expenses in smaller counties.

“This legislation addresses the need for standardized training and fair compensation for coroners across Missouri,” Voss said in a news release. “Coroners play a vital role in our communities, and this bill ensures they have the necessary resources and knowledge to perform their duties effectively.”

HB 1122 would require all elected or appointed coroners, deputy coroners and assistants to complete a minimum of 20 hours of classroom instruction annually through a state or nationally recognized and accredited program focusing on pathology, toxicology, medicolegal sciences and best practices.

In addition, a grant program managed by an association of Missouri county coroners would provide up to $5,000 to eligible coroner offices in smaller counties for training expenses. The grants would be funded by fees collected on death certificates.

Voss filed a similar bill during the 2024 legislative session after former Cape Girardeau County coroner Wavis Jordan was ousted from office last year after being charged with three Class E felony counts of falsifying vital records, as well as a misdemeanor theft charge from allegedly stealing less than $20 from a deceased person's wallet. His criminal trial is scheduled for Wednesday, March 5. Jordan also had been accused of perjury by former coroner John Clifton after the 2020 election.

"These families are usually at their most vulnerable, emotionally when this interaction (with a coroner) has to occur," Voss said in a previous interview with the Southeast Missourian. "We need to make sure that the people that we elect are competent and qualified to do those jobs, and we know they're going to perform them in a way that makes us all very, very proud. I don't think the qualifications that I'm asking for are going to be unattainable. I think they're very achievable by people that truly want to serve in the office of coroner, and we need to put them in our statutes."