Bill Text: NY S09578 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires 30 hours of mandatory continuing education every three years for coroners and coroner's deputies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT [S09578 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S09578-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9578 IN SENATE May 16, 2024 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government 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: 1 Section 1. Section 679 of the county law, as added by chapter 184 of 2 the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 679. 1. Training requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies. 4 Each coroner and coroner's deputy, whether elected or appointed pursuant 5 to section four hundred of this chapter, shall attend and successfully 6 complete state-approved courses in medical-legal investigation. The cost 7 of such courses shall be the responsibility of the coroner or coroner's 8 deputy, provided however that the county may, at its discretion, reim- 9 burse the coroner or coroner's deputy for all or a portion of the cost 10 of such courses. Such courses shall be prescribed, certified and accred- 11 ited pursuant to rules promulgated by the department of health, in 12 consultation with the department of state, the division of criminal 13 justice services, the superintendent of state police, the commissioner 14 of education, and the chair of the commission on forensic science. The 15 department of health may also consult with qualified professional 16 groups. Such rules shall also establish the frequency and duration for 17 successful completion of any such courses by [a] the coroner or 18 coroner's deputy and may prescribe heightened levels of training for any 19 newly elected or appointed coroner or coroner's deputy. 20 2. (a) Each coroner and coroner's deputy, whether elected or appointed 21 pursuant to section four hundred of this chapter, shall attend and 22 successfully complete no less than thirty credits in state-approved 23 medical legal investigation courses over a three-year period. The cost 24 of such courses shall be the responsibility of the coroner or coroner's 25 deputy, provided however that the county may, at its discretion, reim- 26 burse the coroner or coroner's deputy for all or a portion of the cost 27 of such courses. Such courses shall be prescribed, certified and accred- 28 ited pursuant to rules promulgated by the department of health, in EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15635-01-4S. 9578 2 1 consultation with the department of state, the division of criminal 2 justice services, the superintendent of state police, the commissioner 3 of education, and the chair of the commission on forensic science. The 4 department of health may also consult with qualified professional groups 5 including but not limited to the New York state association of county 6 coroners and medical examiners. Each coroner and coroner's deputy shall 7 register triennially with the department of health to practice and shall 8 comply with the provisions of the mandatory continuing education 9 requirements prescribed in this subdivision. 10 (b) Each coroner or coroner's deputy shall be exempt from the mandato- 11 ry continuing education requirement for one year following the date on 12 which they are first elected or appointed pursuant to section four 13 hundred of this chapter. 14 (c) A coroner or coroner's deputy who does not satisfy the mandatory 15 continuing education requirements, except as provided by paragraph (b) 16 of this subdivision, shall not practice until they have met such 17 requirements, and they have been issued a certificate of completion by 18 the department of health or other agency listed in paragraph (a) of this 19 subdivision. The New York state association of county coroners and 20 medical examiners shall retain records of compliance with the continu- 21 ing education requirements by all coroners and coroner's deputies and 22 shall notify those individuals and their respective counties if a coron- 23 er or coroner's deputy is not in compliance with this subdivision. 24 (d) In accordance with the intent of this subdivision, adjustment to 25 the mandatory continuing education requirement may be granted by the 26 department of health for reasons of health if certified by an appropri- 27 ate health care professional, for extended active duty with the armed 28 forces of the United States, or for other good cause acceptable to the 29 department of health which may prevent compliance. 30 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 31 it shall have become a law.
