Vital Records - As enacted, enacts "April's Law of 2026," which authorizes a surviving parent, in addition to another next of kin, to formally disagree with the county medical examiner's determination that the manner of death for the parent's child was suicide and request reconsideration from the state chief medical examiner; allows the other parent of a child of the decedent to request a copy of the decedent's death certificate if the child is under 18. - Amends TCA Title 38 and Title 68.

SB 1597 amends Tennessee law to expand access to death certificate information and the ability to challenge medical examiner findings. It allows a surviving parent (not just other next of kin) to formally disagree with a county medical examiner's suicide determination for their child and request reconsideration by the state chief medical examiner. The bill also permits the other parent of a minor child (under 18) to request a copy of the child's death certificate. These changes update definitions in Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 68-3-502 and 68-3-205 to clarify who qualifies as "next of kin" and who may request death certificates. The bill focuses on procedural access for specific family members following a death.