S 7396: Requires investigation and autopsy of suspicious deaths where the deceased individual had an identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7396 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE April 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the investigation of suspicious deaths and domestic violence The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new article 23-A 2 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 23-A 4 SUSPICIOUS DEATHS 5 Section 649-aa. Suspicious deaths and domestic violence. 6 § 649-aa. Suspicious deaths and domestic violence. 1. For the purposes 7 of this section: 8 (a) "Domestic violence" shall have the same meaning as a family 9 offense as defined in section 530.11 of the criminal procedure law. 10 (b) "Identifiable history of being victimized by domestic violence" 11 shall mean demonstrable past incidents of being victimized by domestic 12 violence that may be verified by prior police reports, written or photo- 13 graphic documentation, restraining order declarations, eyewitness state- 14 ments, or other evidence that corroborates a history of such incidents. 15 (c) "Family member" shall mean a parent, sibling, or child of the 16 deceased. 17 (d) "Close friend" shall mean any person who has maintained regular 18 contact and has a significant relationship with the deceased. 19 (e) "Partner" shall mean a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former 20 cohabitant, fiance, someone with whom the decedent had a dating 21 relationship or engagement for marriage, or the parent of the decedent's 22 child. 23 2. Prior to making any findings as to the manner and cause of death of 24 a deceased individual with an identifiable history of being victimized EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09589-01-5 
 S. 7396 2 1 by domestic violence, and in the presence of three or more factors list- 2 ed in subdivision three of this section, law enforcement shall interview 3 family members, such as parents, siblings, or other close friends or 4 relatives of the decedent with relevant information regarding that 5 history of domestic violence. 6 3. Law enforcement investigators must request a complete autopsy in a 7 case where they have determined there is an identifiable history of 8 being victimized by domestic violence and any of the following condi- 9 tions are present: 10 (a) the decedent died prematurely or in an untimely manner; 11 (b) the scene of the death gives the appearance of death due to 12 suicide or accident; 13 (c) one partner wanted to end the relationship; 14 (d) there is a history of being victimized by domestic violence that 15 includes coercive control; 16 (e) the decedent is found dead in a home or place of residence; 17 (f) the decedent is found by a current or previous partner; 18 (g) there is a history of being victimized by domestic violence that 19 includes strangulation or suffocation; 20 (h) the current or previous partner of the decedent, or child of the 21 decedent or the decedent's current or previous partner, is the last to 22 see the decedent alive; 23 (i) the partner had control of the scene before law enforcement 24 arrived; or 25 (j) the body of the decedent has been moved or the scene or other 26 evidence is altered in some way. 27 4. During the pendency of such investigation and any review, family 28 members and close friends of the decedent shall have access to all 29 victim services and support provided under article twenty-two of this 30 chapter. 31 5. In the event that a local law enforcement agency makes a finding 32 that the death is not a homicide and closes the case, family members or 33 close friends of the decedent or their legal counsel shall have the 34 right to: 35 (a) request any and all records of the investigation currently avail- 36 able under the New York freedom of information law; and 37 (b) request an autopsy and second opinion from a board-certified 38 forensic pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology. 39 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 40 have become a law.