Bill Text: FL S0056 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Infant Death
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2013-05-30 - Chapter No. 2013-62 [S0056 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S0056-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Infant Death
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2013-05-30 - Chapter No. 2013-62 [S0056 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S0056-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2013 SB 56
By Senator Hays
11-00035A-13 201356__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to infant death; amending s. 383.3362,
3 F.S.; revising legislative findings and intent with
4 respect to the sudden unexpected death of an infant
5 under a specified age; defining the term “sudden
6 unexpected infant death”; revising provisions relating
7 to training requirements for first responders;
8 revising requirements relating to autopsies performed
9 by medical examiners; requiring the Medical Examiners
10 Commission to provide for the development and
11 implementation of a protocol for the medicolegal
12 investigation of sudden unexpected infant deaths;
13 deleting references to the SIDS hotline and local SIDS
14 alliances; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 383.3362, Florida Statutes, is amended
19 to read:
20 383.3362 Sudden unexpected infant death Syndrome.—
21 (1) FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature recognizes that
22 more than 4,500 infants in the United States die suddenly and
23 unexpectedly of no immediate or obvious cause. According to
24 statistics from the Department of Health, more than 200 infants
25 in this state experienced sudden unexpected infant death in 2010
26 sudden Infant death Syndrome, or SIDS, is a leading cause of
27 death among children under the age of 1 year, both nationally
28 and in this state. The Legislature further recognizes that first
29 responders to emergency calls relating to such a death need
30 access to special training to better enable them to recognize
31 that such deaths may result from natural and accidental causes
32 or may be caused distinguish SIDS from death caused by criminal
33 acts and to appropriately interact with the deceased infant’s
34 parents or caretakers. At the same time, the Legislature,
35 recognizing that the primary focus of first responders is to
36 carry out their assigned duties, intends to increase the
37 awareness of the possible causes of sudden unexpected infant
38 deaths SIDS by first responders, but in no way expand or take
39 away from their duties. Further, the Legislature recognizes the
40 importance of a multidisciplinary investigation and standardized
41 investigative protocols in cases of sudden unexpected infant
42 standard protocol for review of SIDS deaths by medical examiners
43 and the importance of appropriate followup in cases of certified
44 or suspected SIDS deaths. Finally, the Legislature finds that it
45 is desirable to analyze existing data, and to conduct further
46 research on, the possible causes of sudden unexpected infant
47 death SIDS and on how to reduce its incidence lower the number
48 of sudden infant deaths.
49 (2) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term “sudden
50 unexpected infant death Syndrome,” or “SUID,” “SIDS,” means the
51 sudden unexpected death of an infant under 1 year of age while
52 in apparent good health whose death may have been a result of
53 natural or unnatural causes which remains unexplained after a
54 complete autopsy, death-scene investigation, and review of the
55 case history. The term includes only those deaths for which,
56 currently, there is no known cause or cure.
57 (3) TRAINING.—
58 (a) The Legislature finds that an emergency medical
59 technician, a paramedic, a firefighter, or a law enforcement
60 officer is likely to be the first responder to a request for
61 assistance which is made immediately after the sudden unexpected
62 death of an infant. The Legislature further finds that these
63 first responders should be trained in appropriate responses to
64 sudden infant death.
65 (b) After January 1, 1995, The basic training programs
66 required for certification as an emergency medical technician, a
67 paramedic, a firefighter, or a law enforcement officer as
68 defined in s. 943.10, other than a correctional officer or a
69 correctional probation officer, must include curriculum that
70 contains instruction on SUID Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
71 (c) The Department of Health, in consultation with the
72 Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, the Firefighters
73 Employment, Standards, and Training Council, and the Criminal
74 Justice Standards and Training Commission, shall develop and
75 adopt, by rule, curriculum that, at a minimum, includes training
76 in the nature of SUID SIDS, standard procedures to be followed
77 by law enforcement agencies in investigating cases involving
78 sudden deaths of infants, and training in responding
79 appropriately to the parents or caretakers who have requested
80 assistance.
81 (4) AUTOPSIES.—
82 (a) The death of any infant younger than 1 year of age who
83 dies suddenly and unexpectedly while in apparent good health
84 falls under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner as provided
85 in s. 406.11. The medical examiner must perform an autopsy upon
86 any infant under the age of 1 year who is suspected to have died
87 of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The autopsy must be performed
88 within 24 hours after the death, or as soon thereafter as is
89 feasible. When the medical examiner’s findings are consistent
90 with the definition of sudden infant death syndrome in
91 subsection (2), the medical examiner must state on the death
92 certificate that sudden infant death syndrome was the cause of
93 death.
94 (b) The Medical Examiners Commission shall provide for the
95 development and implementation of develop and implement a
96 protocol for the medicolegal investigation of SUID dealing with
97 suspected sudden infant death syndrome. The protocol must be
98 followed by all medical examiners when conducting the autopsies
99 required under this subsection. The protocol may include
100 requirements and standards for scene investigations,
101 requirements for specific data, criteria for any specific tissue
102 sampling, and any other requirements that are deemed
103 ascertaining cause of death based on the autopsy, criteria for
104 any specific tissue sampling, and any other requirements that
105 the commission considers necessary.
106 (c) A medical examiner is not liable for damages in a civil
107 action for any act or omission done in compliance with this
108 subsection.
109 (d) An autopsy must be performed under the authority of a
110 medical examiner under s. 406.11.
111 (5) DEPARTMENT DUTIES RELATING TO SUDDEN UNEXPECTED INFANT
112 DEATH (SUID) SYNDROME (SIDS).—The Department of Health shall:
113 (a) Collaborate with other agencies in the development and
114 presentation of the SUID Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
115 training programs for first responders, including those for
116 emergency medical technicians and paramedics, firefighters, and
117 law enforcement officers.
118 (b) Maintain a database of statistics on reported SUID SIDS
119 deaths, and analyze the data as funds allow.
120 (c) Serve as liaison and closely coordinate activities with
121 the Florida SIDS Alliance, including the services related to the
122 SIDS hotline.
123 (d) Maintain a library reference list and materials about
124 SUID SIDS for public dissemination.
125 (e) Provide professional support to field staff.
126 (f) Coordinate the activities of and promote a link between
127 the fetal and infant mortality review committees of the local
128 healthy start coalitions, the local SIDS alliance, and other
129 related support groups.
130 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.
