Senate Bill 1146 amends Tennessee law to establish procedures for autopsies conducted on individuals suspected of committing mass shootings that result in the deaths of four or more people. The bill mandates that the county medical examiner or regional forensic center consult with the decedent's treating mental health professional or primary care physician to gather information about the decedent's psychotropic drug use. Additionally, the medical examiner is required to test for the presence of any drugs, including psychotropic drugs, and disclose this information to the University of Tennessee's health science center and the department of health, while ensuring that no identifying information about the decedent is shared.

Furthermore, the University of Tennessee's health science center is tasked with studying the interactions between psychotropic drugs and other substances found in the decedent's system, and it must submit quarterly reports on its findings to the relevant legislative committees. The bill defines "psychotropic drug" broadly to include various categories of medications that affect mental or behavioral health, and it emphasizes compliance with state and federal privacy laws in the implementation of these provisions. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 38-7-109