Bill > AB1108

This bill enacts the Forensic Accountability, Custodial Transparency, and Safety (FACTS) Act of 2025, which addresses potential conflicts of interest in investigating in-custody deaths in counties where the sheriff and coroner offices are combined. Starting January 1, 2027, in such counties, the sheriff-coroner will be prohibited from determining the circumstances, manner, and cause of death for in-custody deaths. Instead, the county must contract with either independent coroner offices from other counties, medical examiners, or private third-party medical examination providers who are completely separate from the sheriff's office to conduct these investigations. The bill defines "in-custody death" broadly, including deaths of people who are detained, arrested, in transit to detention, or incarcerated in municipal, county, state, federal, or immigration facilities. The county board of supervisors must annually enter into service agreements with these independent medical examination providers, and any contracted third-party provider cannot conduct medical examinations for non-in-custody death cases during their service agreement. The findings of these independent investigations must be delivered to the sheriff-coroner, district attorney, county health officer, board of supervisors, and the decedent's next of kin. The Legislature notes that 48 out of 58 California counties have consolidated sheriff and coroner offices, creating potential conflicts of interest, and therefore considers this bill a matter of statewide concern.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1108