SB1416 Summary

• Directs the Director of Public Health to establish a Statewide Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Program that includes a referral service and 24-hour hotline for public and health care professionals seeking information on SIDS-related services.

• Requires the Director of Public Health to encourage development of local support programs for early detection, counseling, and referrals for infants at risk of SIDS.

• Establishes a 13-member Sudden Child Death Autopsy Protocol Committee within the Department of Public Health, including pathologists, medical examiners, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and family members of SIDS victims.

• Requires the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Committee, to develop a standardized autopsy protocol for suspected SIDS deaths in children under one year and sudden unexpected deaths in children under two years, including scene investigation requirements and nationally recognized standards.

• Directs the Director to ensure all county medical examiners, coroners, and other authorized personnel follow the autopsy protocol, and requires death certificates to state SIDS as the cause of death when autopsy findings are consistent with the protocol's definition; the Committee expires December 31, 2022.