Plain English Breakdown
The official text does not specify an effective date beyond January 1, 2027; it relies on the enactment status provided in metadata.
AB-1108: Independent Reviews for Deaths in Custody
Starting January 1, 2027, this law requires counties where the sheriff and coroner are combined to hire independent experts to investigate deaths that happen while people are under arrest or detained.
What This Bill Does
- Creates a new rule called the Forensic Accountability, Custodial Transparency, and Safety (FACTS) Act of 2025 starting on January 1, 2027.
- Stops sheriff-coroners from deciding how, why, or under what circumstances someone died if that person was in custody when they passed away.
- Requires counties to sign yearly contracts with independent coroner offices, medical examiners, or private doctors who are not part of the sheriff's office.
- Defines 'in-custody death' to include people detained, arrested, being transported to jail, held in jails or prisons, or at federal correctional and immigration detention facilities.
- Prevents a hired outside doctor from working on other cases for that county while their contract is active.
Who It Names or Affects
- Counties where the sheriff also serves as the coroner.
- County boards of supervisors who must manage new contracts.
- Independent medical examiners, independent coroner offices, and private doctors hired to perform examinations.
- People whose deaths occur while they are detained, arrested, or incarcerated.
Terms To Know
- Sheriff-Coroner
- A county official who holds both the job of sheriff and the job of coroner at the same time.
- In-custody death
- The death of a person who is detained, under arrest, being transported to be incarcerated, or held in jails, prisons, federal correctional facilities, or immigration detention centers.
- Forensic autopsy
- An examination of a body done to generate medical evidence and determine the cause of death.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law only applies in counties where the sheriff and coroner offices are combined.
- It does not take effect until January 1, 2027.
- State reimbursement to local agencies depends on a future decision by the Commission on State Mandates.