Bill > HB422

This bill, known as the Josie Petrone Enhanced Informed Consent for Infant Vaccinations and Document Information Act, aims to increase transparency and empower parents regarding infant vaccinations and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) investigations. It mandates that before administering vaccines to infants under 12 months old, healthcare providers must confirm with parents or guardians that the vaccines were explained and all their questions were answered; if any questions remain, they must be fully addressed before vaccination. The Department of Health and Social Services will approve a form for vaccine administrators to verify this process, with a checkbox to be marked only after compliance, located near the vaccine lot number information. While failure to comply won't create a new legal claim for damages, it can be considered in disciplinary actions against licensed professionals. Additionally, in any SUID investigation, including those initially classified as SUID, if the infant died within seven days of receiving a vaccine, the medical examiner or investigating authority must document that the potential temporal association between the death and recent vaccination was considered, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. This documentation, which does not create a presumption that the vaccine caused the death, will be included in the autopsy report and sent to the Child Death Review Commission.