Senate Bill S8801

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8801
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 8, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BASKIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the county law, in relation to permitting  local  health
   officials to request copies of certain reports and records
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 9 of section 677 of the county law, as  amended
 by  a  chapter  of  the laws of 2025 amending the county law relating to
 permitting the commissioner of health to designate  local  health  offi-
 cials  to  request copies of certain reports and records, as proposed in
 legislative bills numbers S. 7818 and A. 7411, is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   9.  (A) When required for official purposes of the state department of
 health, the state commissioner of health or their designee  may  request
 copies of all reports and records related to a death, including, but not
 limited  to, autopsy reports and toxicology reports. Upon receipt of the
 written request of the state commissioner of health or their designee, a
 coroner, coroner's physician or medical examiner,  shall,  within  three
 business days of their completion, provide to such commissioner or their
 designee  a  copy of all reports and records, including, but not limited
 to, autopsy reports and toxicology reports related to  the  death.  [For
 the purposes of this section, the designee of the commissioner of health
 may include a local health official.]
   (B)  WHEN  REQUIRED  FOR  OFFICIAL  PURPOSES  OF  A HEALTH DISTRICT AS
 DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, THE LOCAL HEALTH  OFFI-
 CER  OF  SUCH  DISTRICT  MAY  REQUEST  COPIES OF ALL REPORTS AND RECORDS
 RELATED TO A DEATH, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AUTOPSY  REPORTS  AND
 TOXICOLOGY  REPORTS  WHEN:  (I)  A  DEATH OCCURS WITHIN THE LOCAL HEALTH
 DISTRICT IN WHICH THE LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIAL EXERCISES  JURISDICTION;  OR
 (II) A DEATH OCCURS OUTSIDE THE LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT IN WHICH THE LOCAL
 HEALTH  OFFICER EXERCISES JURISDICTION, PROVIDED THAT THE DECEDENT WAS A
 RESIDENT OF SUCH LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT WHEN THEY:
   (1) SUSTAINED A PHYSICAL INJURY OR TOXICOLOGICAL EXPOSURE THAT  WAS  A
 DIRECT OR CONTRIBUTING CAUSE OF DEATH;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD10745-02-6
 S. 8801                             2
 
   (2)  RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL CARE OR TREATMENT FOR THE DISEASE OR
 CONDITION LEADING TO DEATH; OR
   (3) WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD OR THE BODY WAS FOUND.
   (C) UPON RECEIPT OF THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF THE LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER, A
 CORONER, CORONER'S PHYSICIAN OR MEDICAL EXAMINER, SHALL:
   (I)  WHEN  SUCH DEATH HAS OCCURRED WITHIN THE LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT IN
 WHICH  THE  REQUESTING  LOCAL  HEALTH  OFFICER  EXERCISES  JURISDICTION,
 PROVIDE  TO SUCH LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER A COPY OF ALL REPORTS AND RECORDS,
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AUTOPSY REPORTS  AND  TOXICOLOGY  REPORTS
 RELATED TO THE DEATH WITHIN THREE DAYS OF THEIR COMPLETION; OR
   (II) WHEN SUCH DEATH HAS OCCURRED OUTSIDE OF THE LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT
 IN  WHICH  THE  REQUESTING  LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER EXERCISES JURISDICTION,
 PROVIDE TO SUCH LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER A COPY OF ALL REPORTS AND  RECORDS,
 INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO, AUTOPSY REPORTS AND TOXICOLOGY REPORTS
 RELATED TO THE DEATH WITHIN THE EARLIER  OF  (1)  SEVEN  DAYS  OF  THEIR
 COMPLETION; OR (2) SEVEN DAYS OF RECEIVING SUCH WRITTEN REQUEST; AND
   (III) MAINTAIN SUCH DOCUMENTS AS PART OF THE OFFICIAL CASE RECORD.
   (D)  THE  REQUESTING  LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER SHALL MAINTAIN A LOG OF ALL
 REQUESTS MADE OUTSIDE OF THEIR LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT AND  SHALL,  WITHIN
 THREE BUSINESS DAYS OF MAKING THE REQUEST, PROVIDE A COPY OF THE WRITTEN
 REQUEST  TO  THE  LOCAL  HEALTH OFFICER WITH JURISDICTION OVER THE LOCAL
 HEALTH DISTRICT FROM WHICH THE RECORDS WERE REQUESTED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the county law relating
 to permitting the commissioner of health to designate local health offi-
 cials  to  request copies of certain reports and records, as proposed in
 legislative bills numbers S. 7818 and A. 7411, takes effect.