STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3637
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 29, 2025
___________
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. Training requirements for coroners and coroner's deputies. 1.
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-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06140-02-5
S. 3637 2
1 burse the coroner or coroner's deputy for all or a portion of the cost
2 of such courses. Such courses shall be prescribed, certified and accred-
3 ited pursuant to rules promulgated by the department of health, in
4 consultation with the department of state, the division of criminal
5 justice services, the superintendent of state police, the commissioner
6 of education, and the chair of the commission on forensic science. The
7 department of health may also consult with qualified professional groups
8 including but not limited to the New York state association of county
9 coroners and medical examiners. Each coroner and coroner's deputy shall
10 register triennially with the department of health to practice and shall
11 comply with the provisions of the mandatory continuing education
12 requirements prescribed in this subdivision.
13 (b) Each coroner or coroner's deputy shall be exempt from the mandato-
14 ry continuing education requirement for one year following the date on
15 which they are first elected or appointed pursuant to section four
16 hundred of this chapter.
17 (c) A coroner or coroner's deputy who does not satisfy the mandatory
18 continuing education requirements, except as provided by paragraph (b)
19 of this subdivision, shall not practice until they have met such
20 requirements, and they have been issued a certificate of completion by
21 the department of health or other agency listed in paragraph (a) of this
22 subdivision. The New York state association of county coroners and
23 medical examiners shall retain records of compliance with the continu-
24 ing education requirements by all coroners and coroner's deputies and
25 shall notify those individuals and their respective counties if a coron-
26 er or coroner's deputy is not in compliance with this subdivision.
27 (d) In accordance with the intent of this subdivision, adjustment to
28 the mandatory continuing education requirement may be granted by the
29 department of health for reasons of health if certified by an appropri-
30 ate health care professional, for extended active duty with the armed
31 forces of the United States, or for other good cause acceptable to the
32 department of health which may prevent compliance.
33 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
34 it shall have become a law.
