SB 877 Summary

• Establishes the California Electronic Violent Death Reporting System to collect and analyze data on violent deaths from sources including death certificates, law enforcement reports, and coroner/medical examiner reports.

• Requires the State Department of Public Health to post summaries and analyses of violent death data on its website, subject to available funding appropriations or private funds.

• Authorizes the department to contract with local agencies to collect violent death data within their jurisdictions and permits law enforcement agencies to report circumstantial data from investigative and toxicology reports for public health surveillance purposes.

• Defines "violent death" to include homicide, suicide, legal intervention deaths, unintentional firearm deaths, and undetermined intent deaths resulting from use of physical force or power.

• Allows the department to apply for federal grants under the National Violent Death Reporting System and accept private or foundation funds to implement the reporting system.