County officers: coroners: in-custody deaths.

Assembly Member Hart's legislation requires California counties with combined sheriff-coroner offices to contract independent medical examiners for investigating in-custody deaths, addressing potential conflicts of interest in death determinations. Starting January 2027, sheriff-coroners must partner with either independent county coroners, medical examiner offices, or qualified third-party providers to examine deaths of individuals who are detained, under arrest, or incarcerated in municipal, county, state, or federal facilities.

The bill establishes specific contracting requirements, mandating county boards of supervisors to annually select and enter service agreements with independent providers who meet physician qualification standards. These contracted examiners must operate autonomously in conducting medical examinations and determining circumstances, manner, and cause of death. The legislation requires investigation findings be delivered to the sheriff-coroner, district attorney, county health officer, board of supervisors, and the decedent's next of kin.

According to the bill's findings, 48 of California's 58 counties currently maintain consolidated sheriff-coroner offices. The measure also amends existing forensic autopsy regulations to exempt these independent examinations from requirements that county coroners or medical examiners determine manner of death. While the bill creates new obligations for affected counties, it includes provisions for state reimbursement of mandated costs as determined by the Commission on State Mandates.