county medical examiner; reports; access

SB 1369 restricts access to medical examiner reports, including toxicology, photographs, and videos from death investigations, requiring a judge to review requests for disclosure in private. It allows specific groups - such as family members (spouse, children, parents), law enforcement, attending doctors, and medical researchers (with anonymity) - to access these records without court approval, prioritizing family requests. The bill also gives medical examiners legal immunity for sharing reports lawfully under these rules and clarifies that it doesn’t change existing court discovery processes. This policy directly affects families seeking death investigation details, law enforcement, and medical professionals needing access for care or research.