Relates to mandatory continuing education requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4014
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Local Governments
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  county law, in relation to mandatory continuing
   education requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section 679 of the county law, as added by chapter 184 of
 the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   § 679.  Training requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies.  1.
 Each coroner and coroner's deputy, whether elected or appointed pursuant
 to section four hundred of this chapter, shall attend  and  successfully
 complete state-approved courses in medical-legal investigation. The cost
 of  such courses shall be the responsibility of the coroner or coroner's
 deputy, provided however that the county may, at its  discretion,  reim-
 burse  the  coroner or coroner's deputy for all or a portion of the cost
 of such courses. Such courses shall be prescribed, certified and accred-
 ited pursuant to rules promulgated  by  the  department  of  health,  in
 consultation  with  the  department  of  state, the division of criminal
 justice services, the superintendent of state police,  the  commissioner
 of  education,  and the chair of the commission on forensic science. The
 department of  health  may  also  consult  with  qualified  professional
 groups.  Such  rules shall also establish the frequency and duration for
 successful completion  of  any  such  courses  by  [a]  THE  coroner  or
 coroner's deputy and may prescribe heightened levels of training for any
 newly elected or appointed coroner or coroner's deputy.
   2. (A) EACH CORONER AND CORONER'S DEPUTY, WHETHER ELECTED OR APPOINTED
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED  OF  THIS CHAPTER, SHALL ATTEND AND
 SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE NO LESS  THAN  THIRTY  CREDITS  IN  STATE-APPROVED
 MEDICAL  LEGAL  INVESTIGATION COURSES OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD. THE COST
 OF SUCH COURSES SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CORONER OR  CORONER'S
 DEPUTY,  PROVIDED  HOWEVER THAT THE COUNTY MAY, AT ITS DISCRETION, REIM-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06140-02-5
 A. 4014                             2
 
 BURSE THE CORONER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY FOR ALL OR A PORTION OF  THE  COST
 OF SUCH COURSES. SUCH COURSES SHALL BE PRESCRIBED, CERTIFIED AND ACCRED-
 ITED  PURSUANT  TO  RULES  PROMULGATED  BY  THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, IN
 CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  STATE, THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL
 JUSTICE SERVICES, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE POLICE,  THE  COMMISSIONER
 OF  EDUCATION,  AND THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION ON FORENSIC SCIENCE. THE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH MAY ALSO CONSULT WITH QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL GROUPS
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE NEW YORK STATE  ASSOCIATION  OF  COUNTY
 CORONERS  AND MEDICAL EXAMINERS. EACH CORONER AND CORONER'S DEPUTY SHALL
 REGISTER TRIENNIALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO PRACTICE AND SHALL
 COMPLY  WITH  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THE  MANDATORY  CONTINUING  EDUCATION
 REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (B) EACH CORONER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE MANDATO-
 RY  CONTINUING  EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR ONE YEAR FOLLOWING THE DATE ON
 WHICH THEY ARE FIRST ELECTED  OR  APPOINTED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  FOUR
 HUNDRED OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (C)  A  CORONER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY WHO DOES NOT SATISFY THE MANDATORY
 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY  PARAGRAPH  (B)
 OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  SHALL  NOT  PRACTICE  UNTIL  THEY  HAVE MET SUCH
 REQUIREMENTS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN ISSUED A CERTIFICATE OF  COMPLETION  BY
 THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OR OTHER AGENCY LISTED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION.  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  ASSOCIATION  OF COUNTY CORONERS AND
 MEDICAL EXAMINERS SHALL RETAIN RECORDS OF  COMPLIANCE WITH THE  CONTINU-
 ING  EDUCATION  REQUIREMENTS  BY ALL CORONERS AND CORONER'S DEPUTIES AND
 SHALL NOTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTIES IF A CORON-
 ER OR CORONER'S DEPUTY IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (D) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTENT OF THIS SUBDIVISION,  ADJUSTMENT  TO
 THE  MANDATORY  CONTINUING  EDUCATION  REQUIREMENT MAY BE GRANTED BY THE
 DEPARTMENT OF  HEALTH FOR REASONS OF HEALTH IF CERTIFIED BY AN APPROPRI-
 ATE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, FOR EXTENDED ACTIVE DUTY  WITH  THE  ARMED
 FORCES  OF  THE UNITED STATES, OR FOR OTHER GOOD CAUSE ACCEPTABLE TO THE
 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WHICH MAY PREVENT COMPLIANCE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.