The bill resulted from a newspaper's request for photos of stock car driver Dale Earnhardt, killed in the Daytona 500 last month. Earnhardt's widow, Teresa, looked on as Bush signed the bill.
The measure, which had passed the Senate by a 40-0 vote Thursday morning, cleared the House last week. The law requires a court order for anyone to look at autopsy photos, exempting it from Florida's sunshine law. Supporters said it would protect the privacy of survivors.
The Orlando Sentinel had wanted to hire a medical consultant to determine if additional safety equipment would have saved the NASCAR icon's life. It said it had no plans to publish the photographs.
The Sentinel reached an agreement with Earnhardt's family last week to use a consultant chosen by a mediator. Duke University professor Barry S. Myers was chosen and examined the photographs for two hours Monday. His findings have not been released.
The Volusia County medical examiner's office determined that Earnhardt died of head trauma when his car crashed into a wall in the final lap of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway.
The autopsy did not address whether safety measures such as a head and neck support, known as HANS, would have saved his life. There was also controversy over whether a broken seat belt contributed to the death.
Circuit Judge Joseph G. Will has set a hearing for April 5 to determine subsequent requests to see the photos.
Earnhardt's racing fans had rallied to the side of the family, flooding the newspaper and the offices of politicians in the state with letters and e-mail.
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