Bill > SB1597

This bill, known as "April's Law of 2026," amends Tennessee law concerning death certificates to provide additional rights to surviving parents. Specifically, it allows a surviving parent, in addition to other designated next of kin, to formally disagree with a county medical examiner's determination that a child's death was a suicide and to request a review of that decision by the state chief medical examiner. Furthermore, the bill grants the other parent of a child under 18 years of age the right to request a copy of that child's death certificate, even if they are not the primary next of kin. These changes aim to offer greater involvement and recourse for parents in the process of determining and documenting the manner of their child's death.