S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9578
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 16, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT to amend the county law,  in  relation  to  mandatory  continuing
   education requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 679 of the county law, as added by chapter  184  of
 the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   §  679.  1. Training requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies.
 Each coroner and coroner's deputy, whether elected or appointed pursuant
 to section four hundred of this chapter, shall attend  and  successfully
 complete state-approved courses in medical-legal investigation. The cost
 of  such courses shall be the responsibility of the coroner or coroner's
 deputy, provided however that the county may, at its  discretion,  reim-
 burse  the  coroner or coroner's deputy for all or a portion of the cost
 of such courses. Such courses shall be prescribed, certified and accred-
 ited pursuant to rules promulgated  by  the  department  of  health,  in
 consultation  with  the  department  of  state, the division of criminal
 justice services, the superintendent of state police,  the  commissioner
 of  education,  and the chair of the commission on forensic science. The
 department of  health  may  also  consult  with  qualified  professional
 groups.  Such  rules shall also establish the frequency and duration for
 successful completion  of  any  such  courses  by  [a]  THE  coroner  or
 coroner's deputy and may prescribe heightened levels of training for any
 newly elected or appointed coroner or coroner's deputy.
   2. (A) EACH CORONER AND CORONER'S DEPUTY, WHETHER ELECTED OR APPOINTED
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED  OF  THIS CHAPTER, SHALL ATTEND AND
 SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE NO LESS  THAN  THIRTY  CREDITS  IN  STATE-APPROVED
 MEDICAL  LEGAL  INVESTIGATION COURSES OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD. THE COST
 OF SUCH COURSES SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CORONER OR  CORONER'S
 DEPUTY,  PROVIDED  HOWEVER THAT THE COUNTY MAY, AT ITS DISCRETION, REIM-
 BURSE THE CORONER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY FOR ALL OR A PORTION OF  THE  COST
 OF SUCH COURSES. SUCH COURSES SHALL BE PRESCRIBED, CERTIFIED AND ACCRED-
 ITED  PURSUANT  TO  RULES  PROMULGATED  BY  THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, IN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15635-01-4
 S. 9578                             2
 
 CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF  STATE,  THE  DIVISION  OF  CRIMINAL
 JUSTICE  SERVICES,  THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE POLICE, THE COMMISSIONER
 OF EDUCATION, AND THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION ON FORENSIC  SCIENCE.  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH MAY ALSO CONSULT WITH QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL GROUPS
 INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED TO THE NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY
 CORONERS AND MEDICAL EXAMINERS. EACH CORONER AND CORONER'S DEPUTY  SHALL
 REGISTER TRIENNIALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO PRACTICE AND SHALL
 COMPLY  WITH  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THE  MANDATORY  CONTINUING  EDUCATION
 REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (B) EACH CORONER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE MANDATO-
 RY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR ONE YEAR FOLLOWING THE  DATE  ON
 WHICH  THEY  ARE  FIRST  ELECTED  OR  APPOINTED PURSUANT TO SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (C) A CORONER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY WHO DOES NOT SATISFY  THE  MANDATORY
 CONTINUING  EDUCATION  REQUIREMENTS, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY PARAGRAPH (B)
 OF THIS SUBDIVISION,  SHALL  NOT  PRACTICE  UNTIL  THEY  HAVE  MET  SUCH
 REQUIREMENTS,  AND  THEY HAVE BEEN ISSUED A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION BY
 THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OR OTHER AGENCY LISTED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION. THE NEW YORK  STATE  ASSOCIATION  OF  COUNTY  CORONERS  AND
 MEDICAL  EXAMINERS SHALL RETAIN RECORDS OF  COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTINU-
 ING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS BY ALL CORONERS AND  CORONER'S  DEPUTIES  AND
 SHALL NOTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTIES IF A CORON-
 ER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (D)  IN  ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTENT OF THIS SUBDIVISION, ADJUSTMENT TO
 THE MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT MAY  BE  GRANTED  BY  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF  HEALTH FOR REASONS OF HEALTH IF CERTIFIED BY AN APPROPRI-
 ATE  HEALTH  CARE  PROFESSIONAL, FOR EXTENDED ACTIVE DUTY WITH THE ARMED
 FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, OR FOR OTHER GOOD CAUSE ACCEPTABLE  TO  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WHICH MAY PREVENT COMPLIANCE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.