Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) announced Senate Bill 1071, legislation that would provide a legal path for families to amend a loved one’s death certificate when a court has determined the death was a homicide and to ensure California’s public records accurately reflect those legal findings.
“Families who have already suffered an unimaginable loss should not have to see their loved one’s death labeled as an ‘accident’ when a court has determined it was a homicide,” said Senator Ochoa Bogh. “There is nothing accidental about the choice to drive impaired. SB 1071 ensures that once the legal process is complete, the official record reflects the truth and honors the life that was taken.”
Under current law, next of kin may request certain corrections to a death certificate, including typographical errors or amendments to the cause of death with a physician’s certification. However, there is no process to amend the manner of death, even when a court of law has ruled that the death was a homicide.
Death certificates list both a cause of death and a manner of death. While the cause describes the medical reason for death, the manner is limited to five categories: homicide, accident, natural, suicide, or undetermined. In cases involving drunk or impaired drivers, medical examiners often classify the manner of death as an accident because they do not yet have access to all the facts that later come out in court. When a court ultimately finds the driver guilty of homicide, the death certificate remains unchanged.
SB 1071 would allow a victim’s next of kin, after all appellate rights have been exhausted, to request an amendment so the official death certificate reflects the court’s legal determination.
“When a court of law determines that a death was caused by the wrongful or unlawful conduct of another person, the official record should reflect that truth. Accountability in the courtroom should be matched by accuracy in our public records,” said Matt Capelouto, Co-Founder of Not an Accident (NAC).
“Families deserve the truth, not euphemisms. Impaired driving isn’t just an accident; it’s a choice. My daughter’s death was not an accident—it was a homicide. That’s how it should be reflected on her death certificate,” said Candace Lightner, Co-Founder of Not an Accident (NAC).
Accurate death certificate data does more than provide closure to families. The information is transmitted to the State Registrar and the California Department of Public Health–Vital Records, where it forms the basis for certified death certificates and statewide vital statistics. Those statistics directly inform public health research, guide criminal justice policy decisions, and shape statewide data systems that lawmakers and agencies rely on when addressing impaired driving and other preventable deaths.
When a death that has been legally determined to be a homicide remains categorized as an accident in state records, it affects how trends are measured, how resources are allocated, and how the scope of impaired driving is understood across California. SB 1071 helps ensure that California’s public health data and criminal justice statistics accurately reflect the reality of these cases.
Drunk and impaired driving deaths are on the rise in California, and accurate classification is critical, not only for families seeking recognition and justice, but for policymakers working to prevent future tragedies.
“As prosecutors sworn to uphold the laws, we know justice is not just paperwork. It is the truth we owe every victim,” said Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin. “When a life is taken by an impaired driver or a drug-induced homicide, it is not an accident. It is homicide. SB 1071 ensures that California’s official death records reflect the truth by recognizing our courts’ legal determinations of homicide, honoring victims and their families, and strengthening the data that guides public policy. We proudly support this legislation and will continue partnering with Senator Ochoa Bogh to advance truth, justice, and public safety.”
SB 1071 is sponsored by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and advocates with the “Not an Accident” campaign.