Florida Senate - 2012 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 332
Barcode 849448
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
12/07/2011 .
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The Committee on Health Regulation (Sobel) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 383.3362, Florida Statutes, is amended
6 to read:
7 383.3362 Sudden Infant death Syndrome.—
8 (1) FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature recognizes that
9 the sudden unexpected death of an infant who is in apparent good
10 health Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is a leading cause
11 of death among infants children under the age of 1 year, both
12 nationally and in this state. The Legislature further recognizes
13 that first responders to emergency calls relating to such a
14 death need access to special training to better enable them to
15 recognize that such deaths may result from natural or accidental
16 causes or may be distinguish SIDS from death caused by criminal
17 acts and to appropriately interact with the deceased infant’s
18 parents or caretakers. At the same time, the Legislature,
19 recognizing that the primary focus of first responders is to
20 carry out their assigned duties, intends to increase the
21 awareness of possible causes of a sudden unexpected infant death
22 SIDS by first responders, but in no way expand or take away from
23 their duties. Further, the Legislature recognizes the importance
24 of a multidisciplinary investigation and standardized
25 investigative protocols in cases of sudden unexpected infant
26 death standard protocol for review of SIDS deaths by medical
27 examiners and the importance of appropriate followup in cases of
28 certified or suspected SIDS deaths. Finally, the Legislature
29 finds that it is desirable to analyze existing data, and to
30 conduct further research on, the possible causes of infant death
31 SIDS and how to reduce lower the number of sudden unexpected
32 infant deaths.
33 (2) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term:
34 (a) “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,” or “SIDS,” refers to
35 means the sudden unexpected death of an infant under 1 year of
36 age whose death appears to be a result of natural causes but
37 which remains unexplained after a complete autopsy, death-scene
38 investigation, and review of the case history. The term includes
39 only those deaths for which, currently, there is no known cause
40 or cure.
41 (b) “Sudden Unexpected Infant Death” or “SUID” refers to
42 the sudden unexpected death of an infant under 1 year of age in
43 apparent good health and whose death may have been a result of
44 natural or unnatural causes.
45 (3) TRAINING.—
46 (a) The Legislature finds that an emergency medical
47 technician, a paramedic, a firefighter, or a law enforcement
48 officer is likely to be the first responder to a request for
49 assistance which is made immediately after the sudden unexpected
50 death of an infant. The Legislature further finds that these
51 first responders should be trained in appropriate responses to
52 sudden infant death.
53 (b) After January 1, 1995, The basic training programs
54 required for certification as an emergency medical technician, a
55 paramedic, a firefighter, or a law enforcement officer as
56 defined in s. 943.10, other than a correctional officer or a
57 correctional probation officer, must include curriculum that
58 contains instruction on SUID Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
59 (c) The Department of Health, in consultation with the
60 Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, the Firefighters
61 Employment, Standards, and Training Council, and the Criminal
62 Justice Standards and Training Commission, shall develop and
63 adopt, by rule, curriculum that, at a minimum, includes training
64 in SUID the nature of SIDS, standard procedures to be followed
65 by law enforcement agencies in investigating cases involving
66 sudden deaths of infants, and training in responding
67 appropriately to the parents or caretakers who have requested
68 assistance.
69 (4) AUTOPSIES.—
70 (a) The sudden unexpected death of any infant under 1 year
71 of age who was in apparent good health falls under the
72 jurisdiction of the medical examiner pursuant to s. 406.11 must
73 perform an autopsy upon any infant under the age of 1 year who
74 is suspected to have died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The
75 autopsy must be performed within 24 hours after the death, or as
76 soon thereafter as is feasible. When the medical examiner’s
77 findings are consistent with the definition of sudden infant
78 death syndrome in subsection (2), the medical examiner must
79 state on the death certificate that sudden infant death syndrome
80 was the cause of death.
81 (b) The Medical Examiners Commission shall provide for the
82 development and implementation of develop and implement a
83 protocol for medical and legal investigation of sudden
84 unexpected infant death dealing with suspected sudden infant
85 death syndrome. The protocol must be followed by all medical
86 examiners when conducting the autopsies required under this
87 subsection. The protocol may include requirements and standards
88 for scene investigations, requirements for specific data,
89 criteria for ascertaining cause of death based on the autopsy,
90 criteria for any specific tissue sampling, and any other
91 requirements that the commission considers necessary.
92 (c) A medical examiner is not liable for damages in a civil
93 action for any act or omission done in compliance with this
94 subsection.
95 (d) An autopsy must be performed under the authority of a
96 medical examiner under s. 406.11.
97 (5) DEPARTMENT DUTIES RELATING TO SUDDEN UNEXPECTED INFANT
98 DEATH (SUID) DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS).—The Department of Health
99 shall:
100 (a) Collaborate with other agencies in the development and
101 presentation of the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Death
102 Syndrome (SIDS) training programs for first responders,
103 including those for emergency medical technicians and
104 paramedics, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
105 (b) Maintain a database of statistics on reported sudden
106 unexpected infant deaths SIDS deaths, and analyze the data as
107 funds allow.
108 (c) Serve as liaison and closely coordinate activities with
109 the Florida SIDS Alliance, including the services related to the
110 SIDS hotline.
111 (d) Maintain a library reference list and materials about
112 SUID SIDS for public dissemination.
113 (e) Provide professional support to field staff.
114 (f) Coordinate the activities of and promote a link between
115 the fetal and infant mortality review committees of the local
116 healthy start coalitions, the local SIDS alliance, and other
117 related support groups.
118 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.
119
120 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
121 And the title is amended as follows:
122 Delete everything before the enacting clause
123 and insert:
124 A bill to be entitled
125 An act relating to infant death; amending s. 383.3362,
126 F.S.; revising legislative findings and intent with
127 respect to the sudden unexpected death of an infant
128 under a specified age; defining the term “Sudden
129 Unexpected Infant Death”; revising provisions relating
130 to training requirements for first responders;
131 revising requirements relating to autopsies performed
132 by medical examiners; requiring the Medical Examiners
133 Commission to provide for the development and
134 implementation of a protocol for the medical and legal
135 investigation of sudden unexpected infant deaths;
136 deleting references to the SIDS hotline and local SIDS
137 alliances; providing an effective date.