(1) As a condition of continued employment, unless exempted by the commission under this section, all coroners, medical examiners, and medicolegal investigative personnel employed at a county coroner's or medical examiner's office must complete training and receive certification within 12 months of hire for full-time personnel or 18 months of hire for part-time personnel.

(2) Requirements for exemption:

(a) A medical examiner who:

(i) Is employed by a coroner's or medical examiner's office in Washington state.

(ii) Is a board-certified forensic pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology (ABP), maintains their certification, and who shows proof of certification.

(iii) Is licensed by the Washington state medical commission, maintains their license, and who shows proof of license.

(iv) Is in good standing with their agency of employment.

(b) A coroner or medicolegal investigative personnel who:

(i) Has been employed as a coroner or medicolegal investigative personnel by a county coroner's or medical examiner's office for at least 12 months as a full-time employee or 18 months as a part-time employee.

(ii) Is certified (minimum registry certification required) by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI).

(iii) Has attended a basic, introductory, or core training course or program or has attended an accumulation of courses which is equivalent to a basic, introductory, or core training course or program within the last five years. The courses/program substitution must be comparable in content and quality to that produced by the commission for the core medicolegal forensic investigation training.

(iv) Is in good standing with their agency of employment.