Bill > H0819

This bill enhances medical examiners' reporting requirements for sudden and unexpected deaths of infants and young people by defining specific terms like Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and Sudden Death in the Young (SDY). The legislation mandates that autopsies for such cases must include microscopic and toxicology studies, review immunization and medical records, and document any immunizations or emergency countermeasures administered within 90 days of death. Medical examiners are now required to report these cases to the national SUID and SDY Case Registry within 30 days of completing the autopsy report. The Department of Health will impose administrative penalties for non-compliance, including fines of up to $1,000 for the first unreported case and up to $5,000 for the second, with potential disciplinary action for repeated failures. The bill also ensures that these reporting requirements are considered permissible disclosures under medical privacy laws and authorizes the Department of Health to adopt implementing rules. The primary goal is to improve public health research by creating a more comprehensive and uniform data collection system for sudden deaths in young individuals.

Health and Social Services

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/819