Bill > A05424

This bill, named the Terry Cooper autopsy accountability act, requires coroners, coroner's physicians, and medical examiners to include comprehensive documentation in autopsy reports for deaths of incarcerated individuals or people in state-managed facilities. Specifically, the bill mandates that autopsy reports must now include all photographs of the body, microscopic slides, and post-mortem x-rays that were either taken by or at the direction of the person performing the autopsy, as well as any such materials reviewed during the examination or diagnosis of the cause and manner of death. The bill amends existing county law to expand the reporting requirements for autopsies, ensuring greater transparency and detail in documenting deaths in correctional facilities and state-operated facilities. These new requirements apply to autopsies conducted 90 days after the bill becomes law, and will help provide more comprehensive information to review boards and state agencies responsible for overseeing these facilities and investigating deaths.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5424