In The Journal September 1, 1956, page 40, under the heading Medical Examiner Versus Coroner System, a report was made of the then current legislative attempts to establish state medical examiner systems or to improve existing coroner systems. In 1954 the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws approved a "Model Post-Mortem Examinations Act," which was the collaborative effort of the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the American Judicature Society, the National Municipal League, and the National Civil Service League. At the time of the last report, the model law, or provisions similar to it, had been adopted in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Georgia, Vermont, Louisiana, and parts of other states.
Since 1956 there has been considerable legislative activity but there have been relatively few enactments. Proposals patterned after the "model act" were introduced in many states