STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8788
IN SENATE
January 8, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the county law, in relation to mandatory continuing
education requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies; and to
amend a chapter of the laws of 2025, amending the county law relating
to mandatory continuing education requirements for coroners and
coroner's deputies, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 3637
and A. 4014, in relation to the effectiveness thereof
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 amended by a chapter of
2 the laws of 2025, amending the county law relating to mandatory continu-
3 ing education requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies, as
4 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 3637 and A. 4014, is amended to
5 read as follows:
6 § 679. Training requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies. 1.
7 Each coroner and coroner's deputy, whether elected or appointed pursuant
8 to section four hundred of this chapter, shall attend and successfully
9 complete initial state-approved courses in medical-legal investigation.
10 The cost of such courses shall be the responsibility of the coroner or
11 coroner's deputy, provided however that the county may, at its
12 discretion, reimburse the coroner or coroner's deputy for all or a
13 portion of the cost of such courses. Such courses shall be prescribed,
14 certified and accredited pursuant to rules promulgated by the department
15 of health, in consultation with the department of state, the division of
16 criminal justice services, the superintendent of state police, the
17 commissioner of education, and the chair of the commission on forensic
18 science. The department of health may also consult with qualified
19 professional groups. Such rules shall also establish the frequency and
20 duration for successful completion of any such courses by the coroner or
21 coroner's deputy and may prescribe heightened levels of training for any
22 newly elected or appointed coroner or coroner's deputy.
23 2. (a) [Each] In addition to the training requirements of subdivision
24 one of this section, each coroner and coroner's deputy, whether elected
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06140-04-6
S. 8788 2
1 or appointed pursuant to section four hundred of this chapter, shall
2 attend and successfully complete [no less than] a minimum of thirty
3 [credits] credit hours in state-approved continuing medical legal inves-
4 tigation courses [over a three-year period] every three years. The cost
5 of such courses shall be the responsibility of the coroner or coroner's
6 deputy, provided however that the county may, at its discretion, reim-
7 burse the coroner or coroner's deputy for all or a portion of the cost
8 of such courses. Such courses shall be prescribed, certified and accred-
9 ited pursuant to rules promulgated by the department of health, in
10 consultation with the department of state, the division of criminal
11 justice services, the superintendent of state police, the commissioner
12 of education, and the chair of the commission on forensic science. The
13 department of health may also consult with qualified professional groups
14 [including but not limited to the New York state association of county
15 coroners and medical examiners. Each coroner and coroner's deputy shall
16 register triennially with the department of health to practice and shall
17 comply with the provisions of the mandatory continuing education
18 requirements prescribed in this subdivision].
19 (b) Each coroner or coroner's deputy shall be exempt from the mandato-
20 ry continuing education requirement for one year following [the date on
21 which they are first elected or appointed pursuant to section four
22 hundred of this chapter] the successful completion of the state-approved
23 courses in medical-legal investigation required by subdivision one of
24 this section.
25 (c)(i) Each coroner or coroner's deputy shall:
26 (A) on a form and date prescribed by the county, register triennially
27 and attest to their respective county, and the department upon request,
28 that they have successfully completed a minimum of thirty credit hours
29 of continuing medical-legal investigation courses; and
30 (B) maintain records of compliance with such continuing education
31 requirements for seven years and shall provide such documentation of
32 compliance upon request by their respective county or the department of
33 health.
34 (ii) Coroner and coroner's deputy attestations shall be filed in the
35 office of the county clerk.
36 (d) A coroner or coroner's deputy who does not satisfy the mandatory
37 continuing education requirements[, except as provided by paragraph (b)
38 of this subdivision, shall not practice until they have met such
39 requirements, and they have been issued a certificate of completion by
40 the department of health or other agency listed in paragraph (a) of this
41 subdivision. The New York state association of county coroners and
42 medical examiners shall retain records of compliance with the continu-
43 ing education requirements by all coroners and coroner's deputies and
44 shall notify those individuals and their respective counties if a coron-
45 er or coroner's deputy is not in compliance with this subdivision.
46 (d) In accordance with the intent of this subdivision, adjustment to
47 the mandatory continuing education requirement may be granted by the
48 department of health for reasons of health if certified by an appropri-
49 ate health care professional, for extended active duty with the armed
50 forces of the United States, or for other good cause acceptable to the
51 department of health which may prevent compliance] shall be barred from
52 practice until they have met such requirements; provided, however, that
53 their respective county may temporarily waive such requirements for
54 extended active duty with the armed forces of the United States or
55 state, or for no longer than one year for other good cause, acceptable
56 to the respective county, which may prevent compliance.
S. 8788 3
1 § 2. Section 2 of a chapter of the laws of 2025, amending the county
2 law relating to mandatory continuing education requirements for coroners
3 and coroner's deputies, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 3637
4 and A. 4014, is amended to read as follows:
5 § 2. This act shall take effect [on the one hundred eightieth day] one
6 year after it shall have become a law.
7 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
8 section one of this act shall take effect on the same date and in the
9 same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2025, amending the county law
10 relating to mandatory continuing education requirements for coroners and
11 coroner's deputies, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 3637 and
12 A. 4014, takes effect.
