Independent Medical Examination Services for In-Custody Deaths

Napa County is requesting proposals for independent medical examination services for in-custody deaths to comply with California Government Code Section 27491.56, effective January 1, 2027, with proposals due September 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. The selected provider must be separate and independent from the Napa County Sheriff-Coroner's Office — a statutory independence requirement that disqualifies current law-enforcement employees, active service contracts with law enforcement, and any prior formal findings of undue influence.

The scope requires a qualified third-party medical examination provider staffed by physicians meeting Government Code Section 24010 qualifications to determine circumstances, manner, and cause of death for all in-custody deaths as defined in Penal Code Section 10008. Services include death scene coordination, external examination, complete forensic autopsy, toxicological analysis, expert witness testimony, and comprehensive documentation. Performance standards mandate acknowledgment of death notifications within two hours, response to the decedent's location within four hours, autopsy commencement within four working days, preliminary findings within 24 hours of autopsy completion, and final autopsy reports within 30 calendar days.

Proposers must hold current, unrestricted California physician and surgeon licensure; board certification in Anatomic Pathology and Forensic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology; minimum three years of post-board-certification forensic pathology practice; and demonstrated experience performing forensic autopsies in California involving in-custody or law-enforcement-related deaths. Professional liability insurance of at least $2 million per occurrence and $4 million aggregate, and commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate are required.

The contract is anticipated as a one-year agreement commencing January 1, 2027, with the County retaining the option to extend for up to two additional one-year periods by mutual written agreement. Annual renewal requires Board of Supervisors re-approval prior to January 1 for each subsequent calendar year. Compensation will be determined through competitive evaluation and negotiated during contract formation; travel expenses must be included within per-case fees with no separate reimbursement unless pre-approved in writing.

Evaluation criteria allocate 35 percent to experience and case volume, 30 percent to fee schedule, 15 percent to staffing model, and 10 percent to organizational description, with the remaining 10 percent distributed across independence attestation, credentials, facilities, policies, references, and governing law attestation. Napa County applies a local-vendor preference for services when qualifications are determined to be otherwise equal, defining local vendors as those with billing addresses within Napa County. An optional site visit to tour morgue and coroner facilities is scheduled for August 31, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at 1535 Airport Blvd, Napa. Proposal review and selection completion is anticipated September 21, 2026, with contract award targeted for November 17, 2026. Contact Captain John (Brian) Kenner at John.kenner@countyofnapa.org.