summary
Introduced
10/14/2025
10/14/2025
In Committee
11/03/2025
11/03/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
03/13/2026
03/13/2026
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An act relating to medical examiners’ duties; amending s. 406.11, F.S.; defining terms; specifying autopsy requirements for certain cases involving sudden and unexpected deaths; requiring medical examiners to document certain information in the autopsy reports for such cases; requiring medical examiners to report specified cases to the national Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry in accordance with protocols established by the Department of Health and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; requiring the department to impose certain administrative penalties against medical examiners for failure to report such cases in a specified timeframe; providing that compliance with specified provisions is deemed a permissible disclosure for purposes of state and federal medical privacy laws; providing an effective date. WHEREAS, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention operates the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry, a national surveillance program coordinated with the National Institutes of Health to establish a valuable repository of information for researchers studying the characteristics of sudden deaths in young individuals, and WHEREAS, district medical examiners in this state are currently not required to report to the registry, resulting in inconsistent data collection, and WHEREAS, uniform reporting and the inclusion of relevant medical information, including recent immunizations and emergency countermeasures, are essential to strengthen public health research, identify risk factors, and improve prevention strategies, NOW, THEREFORE,
AI Summary
This bill amends Florida law to enhance medical examiners' reporting requirements for sudden and unexpected deaths in children and young adults, specifically focusing on cases involving Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), Sudden Death in the Young (SDY), and Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS). The bill defines these specific types of sudden deaths and requires medical examiners to conduct comprehensive autopsies that include microscopic and toxicology studies, as well as review the deceased's immunization and medical records within 90 days of death. Medical examiners must document any immunizations or emergency countermeasures in the autopsy report and report these cases to the national Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry, which is a surveillance system coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health. The bill establishes a graduated penalty system for medical examiners who fail to report such cases, with fines ranging from $1,000 for the first unreported case to potential disciplinary action for repeated non-compliance. Additionally, the bill stipulates that these reporting requirements are considered a permissible disclosure under medical privacy laws, ensuring that medical information can be shared for public health research purposes. The provisions will take effect on July 1, 2026.
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Died in Health Policy (on 03/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/188 |
| BillText | https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/188/BillText/Filed/HTML |
Loading...