KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB1480 • 2026

Autopsies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38, Chapter 7, relative to autopsies.

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Lowe, Russell
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on how the state will fund these additional costs or if there are specific financial impacts for different counties.

Autopsy Costs in Tennessee

This bill changes how autopsy costs ordered by district attorneys general are covered.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the state of Tennessee to pay for autopsies ordered by district attorneys general.
  • Requires county medical examiners to notify the chief medical examiner when an autopsy is ordered by a district attorney general.
  • Allows county medical examiners to either perform the autopsy themselves or designate and authorize another pathologist to do so.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The state of Tennessee will pay for autopsies ordered by district attorneys general.
  • County medical examiners must notify the chief medical examiner when an autopsy is ordered.
  • Pathologists may be designated by county medical examiners to perform autopsies.

Terms To Know

District Attorney General
A lawyer who represents the state in criminal cases and can order autopsies when necessary.
County Medical Examiner
A doctor responsible for investigating deaths that are suspicious, unusual, or unnatural.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the state will fund these additional autopsy costs.
  • It is unclear if this change will affect all counties equally or if some areas may face higher expenses than others.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1813

Plain English: The amendment changes how autopsies ordered by a district attorney general are paid for in Tennessee.

  • When an autopsy is ordered by a district attorney general, the state will now pay for it using existing funds from the Department of Correction within 60 days after the autopsy is completed.
  • The amendment does not specify how much money is available in the Department of Correction's funds or what happens if there are insufficient funds to cover the costs.
  • It also doesn't explain who will be responsible for ensuring that the payment is made within the required timeframe.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1480

Plain English: The amendment changes how autopsies ordered by a district attorney general are paid for in Tennessee.

  • When an autopsy is ordered by a district attorney general, the state will now pay for it using existing funds from the Department of Correction within 60 days after the autopsy is completed.
  • The amendment text does not specify how much money is available in the Department of Correction's funds or if there are limits to the amount that can be used.
  • It is unclear what happens if the state fails to pay within 60 days as required by the amendment.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  4. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  5. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  6. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  7. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  8. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  9. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  10. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026

  11. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026

  12. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  13. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  14. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 2/18/2026

  15. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  16. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  17. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  18. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  19. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  20. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  21. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  22. 2025-12-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that when a
death is reported as
being under
suspicious, unusual
,
or unnatural circumstances, it is the duty of the county medical examiner in the county in which the death occurred to immediately make an investigation of the circumstances of the death.

When an autopsy is ordered by the district attorney general, the county medical examiner
must
notify the chief medical examiner
,
and the county medical examiner may perform the autopsy or
must
designate and authorize a pathologist to perform the autopsy.
This bill requires the
costs and expense of
an
autopsy
ordered by
the district attorney general

to
be paid by this state as other costs, chargeable to the state, are paid.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1813
By Russell

SENATE BILL 1480
By Lowe
SB1480
010408
- 1 -
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38,
Chapter 7, relative to autopsies.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-7-109(b), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting instead:
(b) When an autopsy is ordered by the district attorney general, the county
medical examiner shall notify the chief medical examiner, and the county medical
examiner may perform the autopsy or shall designate and authorize a pathologist to
perform the autopsy as provided in § 38-7-105. The costs and expense of the autopsy
must be paid by this state as other costs, chargeable to the state, are paid.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.