Permits local health officials to request copies of certain reports and records

Local health officers gain death-record access

Local health officers can request death-related records in writing for official health district work, including autopsy and toxicology reports. For deaths within their district, records are due within 3 days after completion. For deaths elsewhere, the person must have been a district resident when one of these events occurred: an injury or toxic exposure contributing to death, significant care for the condition leading to death, or being pronounced dead or found. Those records are due by the earlier of 7 days after completion or 7 days after receiving the request. Coroners, coroners’ physicians, and medical examiners must provide the records and keep them in the official case file. Requesting officers must log out-of-district requests. Within 3 business days of making a request, they must send a copy to that district’s health officer. State health officials or their designee can also request all death-related records in writing. Those records are due within 3 business days after completion. Local officers use their separate authority rather than being included as state designees. The law takes effect on the same date and in the same manner as the related 2025 county-law amendment identified as S.7818 and A.7411.