Rhode IslandS28912026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- OFFICE OF STATE MEDICAL EXAMINERS .

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

New state medical examiner office

The law creates a statewide Office of State Medical Examiners inside the Health Department. The office must earn and keep national accreditation. The chief must be a licensed, board‑certified forensic pathologist. The state must staff and equip the morgue so the office can do its work.

Family rights, costs, and claiming remains

You can ask the chief medical examiner to amend the cause or manner on a death certificate within 60 days (not for homicide). If denied, you can appeal to the Health Director and then to Superior Court; if the chief is upheld, you pay hearing costs. The office must promptly release the body, and the state pays transport to the office when an autopsy is required by law. A domestic partner can claim remains if they sign an affidavit and meet the listed tests. If no one claims a body in 14 days or arranges removal in 30 days, the state buries it and may recover costs from the estate. Personal property goes with the body unless held for law enforcement, and funeral transport must sign an itemized receipt. Fees may apply for copies of reports, cremation permits, testimony, and archive searches; public agencies and some hospitals are exempt. A state postmortem advisory commission helps review appeals and advise on practices.

Private teams review tragic deaths

The Health Department supports review teams for child deaths, drug overdoses, maternal deaths, and adult suicides. Teams can access needed records. Their work is confidential, not open to public records, and not usable in court. Teams share only de‑identified data and publish prevention recommendations, with yearly reports in several areas. The medical examiner keeps full case records and shares case information with these teams.

Stronger powers to investigate deaths

The office decides when it has authority, takes custody, and starts a postmortem investigation. It can do external inspections, partial or full autopsies, and testing. It covers many causes, like homicide, suicide, overdose, workplace, infectious, and sudden unexpected deaths. Agents do not remove a body from a home unless needed and may approve removals from public scenes. Organ or tissue donation can proceed if it does not block finding cause or manner. In mass‑fatality events, it may order cremation of unidentifiable commingled remains.

No pay for water recoveries

The state repeals the prior law that paid people who recovered dead bodies from state waters. You can no longer claim that compensation.

Faster death reporting and scene rules

Anyone who finds a body or human remains must report it right away. Doctors, police, hospitals, funeral directors, and others must report certain deaths, and child deaths must be reported within 6 hours. Do not move or disturb a body unless trying to save a life. Hospitals, schools, jails, and police must share needed records; police must give reports, photos, and videos. Agents must alert the Attorney General and local police if they suspect another person’s act or neglect. The office reports heat‑ or cold‑related accidental deaths of people 65+ to the Office of Healthy Aging. Failures to report and hiding felonies are referred for enforcement and can lead to penalties.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Lori Urso
Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

Peter A. Appollonio, Jr.
Democratic • Senate
Frank A. Ciccone, III
Democratic • Senate
Stefano V. Famiglietti
Democratic • Senate
Todd M. Patalano
Democratic • Senate
Leonidas P. Raptakis
Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 137 • No: 0

House vote • 6/4/2026

OFFICES- STATE MEDICAL EXAMINERS PASSAGE IN CONCURRENCE

Yes: 63 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/27/2026

HEALTH AND SAFETY -- OFFICE OF STATE MEDICAL EXAMINERS Passage

Yes: 37 • No: 0