Senate Bill 255

Lead Sponsors: Senator Stephen Huffman and Senator Terry Johnson

Status: First hearing in Senate Health (June 26, 2024)

Description: The bill makes a number of changes to the law retaining to county coroners, including:

Authorizes a coroner to deny journalistic access to preliminary autopsy and investigative notes, photographs taken by the coroner, and suicide notes until the final autopsy report and death certificate are complete.
Specifies that autopsy costs include any component of an autopsy, including transport of the body.
Requires health care workers with knowledge of facts related to suspicious or unusual deaths, including violent deaths, suicides, and deaths of individuals with developmental disabilities to immediately notify the coroner of those facts.

CCAO Position: No position (as of August 2024)