SB1379 - County of Riverside: separation of county offices: in-custody reports.

Enrolled August 28, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 26, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 25, 2026 Amended IN Assembly August 13, 2026 Amended IN Assembly June 23, 2026 Amended IN Assembly June 09, 2026 Amended IN Senate April 23, 2026 Amended IN Senate March 25, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 1379 Introduced by Senator Cervantes (Coauthor: Assembly Member Sharp-Collins) February 20, 2026 An act to add Section 24309 to the Government Code, relating to local government. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1379, Cervantes. County of Riverside: separation of county offices: in-custody reports. Existing law generally regulates the government of counties. Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to consolidate the duties of various county offices in various combinations, including combining the duties of the sheriff and the coroner. Existing law also authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to separate the duties of consolidated offices. Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors to abolish the office of coroner by ordinance and provide instead for the office of medical examiner, to be appointed by the board, as specified. This bill would require the board of supervisors for the County of Riverside to separate the offices of sheriff and coroner, abolish the office of coroner, and provide for the office of medical examiner, pursuant to the provisions described above, by July 1, 2027, as specified. The bill would require the county’s board of supervisors to move medicolegal death investigation services to the office of medical examiner. The bill would prohibit a person other than the county’s medical examiner from signing specified documents. The bill would require the county to publish specified information regarding in-custody persons on its internet website. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for County of Riverside. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. By requiring the county to provide a higher level of service, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Although the County of Riverside makes up only about 6 percent of California’s population, it accounts for approximately 10 percent of the state’s in-custody deaths, with Latinos representing at least 43 percent of those deaths from 2005 to 2024, inclusive. (b) In 2024, a CalMatters investigation into deaths of individuals in custody in County of Riverside jails concluded, “Some of California’s deadliest jails are in Riverside County, where 45 people have died since Jan. 1, 2021.” (c) A 2025 article from the New York Times said the number of deaths in County of Riverside jails from 2020 to 2023, inclusive, made the county’s system “the second deadliest in the nation during that period.” (d) Lawsuits by family members of individuals who have died while in custody at County of Riverside jails have resulted in nearly $100,000,000 in settlements paid by the county’s taxpayers from 2014 to 2024, inclusive. SEC. 2. Section 24309 is added to the Government Code, to read: 24309. (a) For purposes of this section: (1) “Board of supervisors” means the board of supervisors for the county. (2) “County” means the County of Riverside. (3) “In-custody death” means the death of a person who is any of the following: (A) Detained, under arrest, or in the process of being arrested by the county sheriff’s office. (B) En route to be incarcerated by the county sheriff’s office. (C) Incarcerated at a county jail. (D) At a medical facility while in custody of the county sheriff’s office. (4) “Recognized employee organization” has the same meaning as defined in Section 3501. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, the board of supervisors shall do all of the following by July 1, 2027: (1) Separate the offices of sheriff and coroner pursuant to Section 24301. (2) Abolish the office of coroner and provide instead for the office of medical examiner pursuant to Section 24010. (3) Transfer each employee of the coroner’s office, including each employee’s functions, duties, classification, and position, to the office of medical examiner. (c) The board of supervisors shall move medicolegal death investigation services to the office of medical examiner. (d) A person other than the medical examiner shall not sign either of the following: (1) A death certificate. (2) Any portion of a postmortem examination. (e) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, both of the following apply to an employee represented by a recognized employee organization on the date the act adding this paragraph is enacted who is transferred, reassigned, reclassified, retitled, or moved to a different office or agency as a result of this section: (A) They shall remain within the same recognized bargaining unit. (B) They shall continue to be represented by the employee organization that served as the employee’s exclusive representative immediately prior to the transfer. (2) An employee transferred pursuant to this section shall retain all rights, benefits, retirement status, seniority, compensation, and representation status applicable immediately prior to the transfer. (3) Notwithstanding any other law, an affected employee who holds peace officer status pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 830.35 of the Penal Code shall retain, or be placed in, a classification qualifying for peace officer status pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 830.35 of the Penal Code until the expiration of the memorandum of understanding that is in effect on the date the act adding this paragraph is enacted. (4) The transfer of functions, duties, classifications, positions, or employees pursuant to this section shall not constitute grounds for any of the following: (A) The creation of a new bargaining unit. (B) The modification of an existing bargaining unit. (C) The removal of an employee from a bargaining unit represented by the affected employee organization. (5) The implementation of this section shall not diminish, impair, alter, or affect the rights of a recognized employee organization or any memorandum of understanding in effect on the date the act adding this paragraph is enacted. (f) The county shall publish all of the following on its internet website: (1) An initial incident report of an in-custody death within 24 hours of the death. (2) A preliminary report of an in-custody death within 72 hours of the death. (3) In-custody death data in a centralized public database that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: (A) The number of deaths by facility. (B) The cause of death for each death. (C) Demographic data of the deceased. (D) Medical response times to the incident resulting in the death. (4) A notice of each in-custody serious incident, including, but not limited to, all of the following: (A) A suicide attempt. (B) A drug overdose, including any Narcan reversal. (C) A person suffering severe withdrawal symptoms. (D) A person suffering medical distress during restraint. (E) Any time a person’s medical request is ignored and that person is subsequently taken to the hospital. (5) Any Department of Justice in-custody death reporting form submitted to the Department of Justice for an in-custody death. (g) The county shall notify the next of kin of the cause of death of an in-custody death within 72 hours of the determination of the cause of death. SEC. 3. The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the significantly higher rates of deaths in County of Riverside jails compared to the rest of the state. SEC. 4. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.