AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38 and Title 68, relative to death certificates.
Summary
HB1807, ultimately enacted as Public Chapter No. 666 and titled "April's Law of 2026," amends Tennessee law governing death certificates and the definition of "next of kin." The bill expands the statutory definition of next of kin in Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-3-502 to include not only the person with the highest priority under the probate code, but also a surviving parent of the decedent. This change affects who may be recognized for purposes related to death certificate information and related decisions.
The bill also revises Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-3-205 to allow certain death certificate information to be released upon specific request of the decedent's spouse, child, parent, other next of kin, the other parent of a minor child of the decedent, or an authorized representative of those persons. In practical terms, the measure broadens access and standing for family members and representatives in matters involving death records, while preserving a request-based process rather than automatic disclosure.
Impact
The bill amends Title 68 and, indirectly, Title 38 by changing the legal definition of next of kin and the categories of persons who may request death certificate information. It expands the class of eligible family members to include surviving parents and clarifies who may seek records, which may affect vital records administration, probate-related determinations, and family access to death certificate information. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong, unanimous support in the House committees, with the House Health Subcommittee voting 9-0 and the House Health Committee voting 20-0 to advance the bill. No committee transcript objections are provided, and the bill ultimately passed and was signed into law, indicating broad agreement around the measure's purpose and scope.
Contention
No explicit opposition or controversy appears in the provided materials. The only potentially notable policy issue is the expansion of who qualifies as "next of kin" and who may request death certificate information, which could raise questions about privacy, family hierarchy, and administrative handling of records. However, the unanimous committee votes suggest these issues were not contentious in the legislative process reflected here.