The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
A Tennessee bill to hide autopsy reports of murdered children from the general public is scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor following its passage by a vote of 86-1 in the House of Representatives last week.
If passed, this legislation could prevent the public from being informed of cases like that of 23-month-old Vincent Carter who was brought into an emergency room after his foster mother stated that he was unresponsive and “choking on a thick hair product.”
However, reports indicate that the young child’s death occurred after multiple blunt force injuries to the head and neck, allegedly inflicted by his foster mother.
House Bill 1695 (HB1695) / Senate Bill 2020 (SB2020) is sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Alexander (R-Jonesborough-District 7) in the House and Sen. Shane Reeves (R-District 14) in the Senate.
As introduced, HB1695/SB2020 “specifies that reports of county medical examiners and autopsy reports of victims of violent crime who are minors are not public documents.”
Under HB1695/SB2020, a parent or legal guardian of a minor who is a victim of a legal crime must consent to the release of such documents to the public unless the parent or legal guardian is a suspect in the circumstances of the minor’s death.
This legislation adds that “medical records of deceased persons, law enforcement investigative reports, and photographs, video, and other images of deceased persons are not public records.”
However, these documents could be forced out into the public if a court orders the release of a report “upon showing of good cause” or if an out-of-state or federal law requires such documents to be released.
SB2020 is scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor on Monday afternoon.
To voice your support or opposition to SB2020 as summarized above use the General Assembly’s Find My Legislator tool and contact your Senator prior to the 3:30pm Senate session on April 15th, 2024.
If this legislation is passed in both chambers of the legislature, it will be finalized and signed by the Speaker of the House and the Speaker of the Senate before being sent to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
