CaliforniaRiverside County must split sheriff and coroner offices by July 1, 2027
By July 1, 2027, Riverside County’s supervisors must replace the coroner with a medical examiner and transfer coroner staff into that office.
What it does
By July 1, 2027, Riverside County must split its sheriff and coroner offices and set up a medical examiner’s office. Coroner staff move there with their existing pay and benefits protected.
Under the signed bill, only Riverside County’s medical examiner may sign death certificates or any part of an examination after death.
Riverside County must post initial and preliminary reports within 24 and 72 hours after deaths during detention or arrest by its sheriff’s office, transport by that office to be jailed, a county jail stay, or sheriff custody at a medical facility. It must also post death data and serious incident notices.
Argument forQuick reports and death counts by facility could help families and residents track deaths involving Riverside County’s sheriff or jails.
Argument againstPosting causes of death and notices about suicide attempts or overdoses could reveal sensitive details about people in Riverside County custody.
More detail
Riverside County supervisors must split the sheriff and coroner offices, replace the coroner with a medical examiner, transfer coroner staff, and move death investigations. This applies to Riverside County’s sheriff and coroner offices, death investigations, and coroner staff. Transferred employees keep their existing pay, benefits, seniority, retirement status, and union representation. July 1, 2027, is the deadline to split the offices, replace the coroner, and transfer coroner staff.
The signed bill says no one except Riverside County’s medical examiner may sign a death certificate or any part of an examination after death. This signing rule applies in Riverside County.
Riverside County must post reports, death data, serious incident notices, and state death reporting forms on its website. Covered deaths include those during detention or arrest by the county sheriff’s office, transport by that office to be jailed, a county jail stay, or sheriff custody at a medical facility. The public database must show death counts by facility, causes of death, details about those who died, and medical response times. The initial report is due within 24 hours of the death. The preliminary report is due within 72 hours of the death.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 1031, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 30Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 31Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 6 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 26Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 5916.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB1379 Cervantes et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 25In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 1379 Cervantes Senate Third Reading By Jackson. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 25Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 59. Noes 19. Page 6477.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 13Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
- Aug 5August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- Jul 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 1Coauthors revised.
- Jun 30
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 23From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.Major
- Jun 18From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- Jun 17
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 9From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.Major
- May 26Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and PUB. S.Minor
- May 20In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- May 19Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 4355.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 4275.) (May 14).Minor
- May 12Set for hearing May 14.
- May 11May 11 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 4Set for hearing May 11.
- Apr 23Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 3984.) (April 21).Major
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 15From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 3904.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 14Set for hearing April 21 in PUB. S. pending receipt.
- Apr 9Set for hearing April 15.
- Apr 8Re-referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and PUB. S.Minor
- Mar 26Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Mar 26Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Mar 25From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.M.Major
- Mar 4Referred to Com. on E.M.Minor
- Feb 23Read first time.Minor
- Feb 23From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
- Feb 20Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced
Government & EthicsPublic SafetyCriminal Justice