S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5424
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GALLAGHER  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Local Governments
 
 AN ACT to amend the county law, in relation to requiring autopsy reports
   to include photographs, microscopic  slides,  and  post-mortem  x-rays
   taken  by,  at  the direction of, or reviewed by the person performing
   the autopsy

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  This  act  shall  be known and may be cited as the "Terry
 Cooper autopsy accountability act".
   § 2. Subdivision 6 of section 677 of the county  law,  as  amended  by
 chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
   6.  Notwithstanding section six hundred seventy of this article or any
 other provision of law, the  coroner,  coroner's  physician  or  medical
 examiner  shall  promptly  provide  the  [chairman]  CHAIRPERSON  of the
 correction medical review board and the commissioner of corrections  and
 community  supervision  with copies of any autopsy report, toxicological
 report or any report of any examination or inquiry prepared with respect
 to any death occurring to an incarcerated individual of  a  correctional
 facility  as  defined  by  subdivision  three  of  section  forty of the
 correction law within [his or her]  THEIR  county;  and  shall  promptly
 provide  the executive director of the justice center for the protection
 of people with special needs with copies of any autopsy report, toxicol-
 ogy report or any report of any examination  or  inquiry  prepared  with
 respect  to  the  death  of any service recipient occurring while [he or
 she] SUCH PERSON was a resident in any facility  operated,  licensed  or
 certified  by  any  agency  within the department of mental hygiene, the
 office of children and family services, the department of health or  the
 state  education  department.  If  the  toxicological report is prepared
 pursuant to any agreement or  contract  with  any  person,  partnership,
 corporation or governmental agency with the coroner or medical examiner,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05959-01-5
              

 A. 5424                             2
 
 such  report shall be promptly provided to the [chairman] CHAIRPERSON of
 the correction medical review board, the commissioner of corrections and
 community supervision or the executive director of  the  justice  center
 for  people with special needs, as appropriate, by such person, partner-
 ship, corporation or governmental  agency.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION,  IN  ADDITION  TO ANYTHING ELSE REQUIRED BY LAW, AN AUTOPSY
 REPORT SHALL INCLUDE ALL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE  BODY,  MICROSCOPIC  SLIDES,
 AND  POST-MORTEM  X-RAYS  TAKEN  BY  OR  AT  THE DIRECTION OF THE PERSON
 PERFORMING THE AUTOPSY, AND ALL  PHOTOGRAPHS,  MICROSCOPIC  SLIDES,  AND
 POST-MORTEM  X-RAYS REVIEWED BY THE PERSON PERFORMING THE AUTOPSY IN THE
 COURSE OF THEIR EXAMINATION OR IN THE COURSE OF THEIR DIAGNOSIS  OF  THE
 CAUSE OF DEATH AND THE MEANS OR MANNER OF DEATH.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law and shall apply to all autopsies conducted on or after
 such date.