County officers: coroners: in-custody deaths.

Assembly Member Hart's legislation requires counties with combined sheriff-coroner offices to contract with independent medical examiners for investigating in-custody deaths, addressing potential conflicts of interest in death investigations. Starting January 2027, sheriff-coroners must engage either another county's independent coroner's office, a medical examiner's office, or a qualified third-party provider to determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of death in cases involving individuals who die while detained, under arrest, or incarcerated.

The bill establishes specific requirements for these independent examinations. County boards of supervisors must annually select and contract with qualified providers who operate separately from sheriff's offices. The findings must be reported to the sheriff-coroner, district attorney, county health officer, board of supervisors, and the decedent's next of kin. The legislation also modifies existing autopsy protocols, restricting access to autopsy suites and requiring law enforcement to share relevant case information with examining physicians.

According to the bill's findings, 48 of California's 58 counties currently maintain consolidated sheriff-coroner offices. The measure applies to all counties, including charter counties, reflecting the Legislature's determination that maintaining independent death investigations constitutes a matter of statewide concern. Counties may receive state reimbursement for costs associated with implementing these new requirements, subject to review by the Commission on State Mandates.