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HB 1807

Vital Records - As enacted, enacts "April's Law of 2026," which authorizes a surviving parent, in addition to another next of kin, to formally disagree with the county medical examiner's determination that the manner of death for the parent's child was suicide and request reconsideration from the state chief medical examiner; allows the other parent of a child of the decedent to request a copy of the decedent's death certificate if the child is under 18. - Amends TCA Title 38 and Title 68.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Antonio Parkinson

Authorizes parents to challenge suicide death determinations and grants non-custodial parents access to minor children's death certificates in Tennessee.

Comp. SB subst.
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Bill Summary · HB 1807

Legislative bill overview

HB 1807 expands who can formally challenge a medical examiner's suicide determination for a deceased child, allowing surviving parents to request reconsideration by the state chief medical examiner. It also grants non-custodial parents access to death certificates of their minor children.

Why is this important

Suicide determinations carry significant emotional, financial, and legal consequences for families—affecting insurance claims, estate proceedings, and closure. This bill addresses situations where parents dispute the manner of death classification and may lack access to official documentation needed for legal or personal purposes.

Potential points of contention

  • Standard of review unclear: The bill doesn't specify what evidence or criteria the state chief medical examiner would use to reconsider initial determinations, potentially creating inconsistent outcomes or undermining medical examiner expertise
  • Access to death certificates: Allowing non-custodial parents automatic access raises privacy concerns for custodial parents and minors, and could complicate cases involving estrangement or custody disputes
  • Resource implications: Expanded reconsideration requests could increase workload for the state medical examiner's office without specified funding or staffing provisions

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

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