HB748 Summary

• Creates the Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Act to establish protocols for investigating sudden unexplained infant deaths (SUID) in infants less than one year of age occurring outside direct medical care.

• Establishes the Alabama Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation (SUIDI) Team comprised of representatives from the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, State Health Officer, Chief Medical Examiner, Alabama Coroners Association, District Attorneys Association, State Board of Nursing, and Department of Human Resources to develop training standards and death scene investigation protocols.

• Requires law enforcement investigators, coroners, deputy coroners, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and first responders to receive training on SUID investigation and handling as determined by the SUIDI Team, with investigations to be initiated within 24 hours of notification.

• Mandates county coroners or medical examiners to obtain legal authorization for forensic pathologist examination, cooperate with law enforcement, and forward post-mortem examination reports and death scene investigation forms to the Director of Alabama Child Death Review System.

• Provides civil and criminal liability immunity for SUIDI Team members and individuals providing information related to SUID investigations, except in cases of confidentiality violations; Act becomes effective three months after protocol development and dissemination.