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Bill

HB 376

SUDP; Office of Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on its website.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Holly Seibold

Virginia's medical examiner office must publish operational and death investigation data on its website to increase transparency in autopsy and death investigation processes.

Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (7-Y 0-N)
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Bill Summary · HB 376

Legislative bill overview

HB 376 requires Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) to publish specified information on its public website. The bill mandates disclosure of data related to the state's medical examiner operations, though the specific categories of information are referenced through the Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUDP) framework mentioned in the bill title.

Why is this important

Transparency in medical examiner operations affects public trust in death investigations, coroner accountability, and data availability for researchers studying unexplained deaths. Publishing this information could help identify patterns in causes of death and allow families and advocates better access to mortality data.

Potential points of contention

  • Data privacy concerns: Publishing medical examiner information raises questions about protecting the privacy of deceased individuals and bereaved families
  • Resource burden: The OCME must determine what data to collect, maintain, and publish, potentially requiring additional staffing or system development
  • Scope ambiguity: The bill's reference to "SUDP" and unspecified information categories leaves uncertainty about what exactly must be disclosed and how detailed public data should be

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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