Florida Senate - 2013 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 56
Barcode 596680
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: WD .
03/13/2013 .
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The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs (Hays)
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 Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome.—
8 (1) FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature recognizes that
9 more than 4,500 infants in the United States die suddenly and
10 unexpectedly of no immediate or obvious cause. According to
11 statistics from the Department of Health, more than 200 infants
12 in this state experienced Sudden Unexpected Infant Death in 2010
13 sudden Infant death Syndrome, or SIDS, is a leading cause of
14 death among children under the age of 1 year, both nationally
15 and in this state. The Legislature further recognizes that first
16 responders to emergency calls relating to such a death need
17 access to special training to better enable them to recognize
18 that such deaths may result from natural and accidental causes
19 or may be caused distinguish SIDS from death caused by criminal
20 acts and to appropriately interact with the deceased infant’s
21 parents or caretakers. At the same time, the Legislature,
22 recognizing that the primary focus of first responders is to
23 carry out their assigned duties, intends to increase the
24 awareness of the possible causes of Sudden Unexpected Infant
25 Death SIDS by first responders, but in no way expand or take
26 away from their duties. Further, the Legislature recognizes the
27 importance of a multidisciplinary investigation and standardized
28 investigative protocols in cases of Sudden Unexpected Infant
29 Death standard protocol for review of SIDS deaths by medical
30 examiners and the importance of appropriate followup in cases of
31 certified or suspected SIDS deaths. Finally, the Legislature
32 finds that it is desirable to analyze existing data, and to
33 conduct further research on, the possible causes of Sudden
34 Unexpected Infant Death SIDS and on how to reduce its incidence
35 lower the number of sudden infant deaths.
36 (2) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term “Sudden
37 Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome,” or “SUID,” “SIDS,” means the
38 sudden unexpected death of an infant under 1 year of age while
39 in apparent good health whose death may have been a result of
40 natural or unnatural causes which remains unexplained after a
41 complete autopsy, death-scene investigation, and review of the
42 case history. The term includes only those deaths for which,
43 currently, there is no known cause or cure.
44 (3) TRAINING.—
45 (a) The Legislature finds that an emergency medical
46 technician, a paramedic, a firefighter, or a law enforcement
47 officer is likely to be the first responder to a request for
48 assistance which is made immediately after the sudden unexpected
49 death of an infant. The Legislature further finds that these
50 first responders should be trained in appropriate responses to
51 sudden infant death.
52 (b) After January 1, 1995, The basic training programs
53 required for certification as an emergency medical technician, a
54 paramedic, a firefighter, or a law enforcement officer as
55 defined in s. 943.10, other than a correctional officer or a
56 correctional probation officer, must include curriculum that
57 contains instruction on SUID Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
58 (c) The Department of Health, in consultation with the
59 Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, the Firefighters
60 Employment, Standards, and Training Council, the child
61 protection teams established in Children’s Medical Services
62 program, and the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
63 Commission, shall develop and adopt, by rule, curriculum that,
64 at a minimum, includes training in the nature of SUID SIDS,
65 standard procedures to be followed by law enforcement agencies
66 in investigating cases involving sudden deaths of infants, and
67 training in responding appropriately to the parents or
68 caretakers who have requested assistance.
69 (4) AUTOPSIES.—
70 (a) The death of any infant younger than 1 year of age who
71 dies suddenly and unexpectedly while in apparent good health
72 falls under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner as provided
73 in s. 406.11. The medical examiner must perform an autopsy upon
74 any infant under the age of 1 year who is suspected to have died
75 of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The autopsy must be performed
76 within 24 hours after the death, or as soon thereafter as is
77 feasible. When the medical examiner’s findings are consistent
78 with the definition of sudden infant death syndrome in
79 subsection (2), the medical examiner must state on the death
80 certificate that sudden infant death syndrome was the cause of
81 death.
82 (b) The Medical Examiners Commission shall provide for the
83 development and implementation of develop and implement a
84 protocol for the medicolegal investigation of SUID dealing with
85 suspected sudden infant death syndrome. The protocol must be
86 followed by all medical examiners when conducting the autopsies
87 required under this subsection. The protocol may include
88 requirements and standards for scene investigations,
89 requirements for specific data, criteria for any specific tissue
90 sampling, and any other requirements that are deemed
91 ascertaining cause of death based on the autopsy, criteria for
92 any specific tissue sampling, and any other requirements that
93 the commission considers necessary.
94 (c) A medical examiner is not liable for damages in a civil
95 action for any act or omission done in compliance with this
96 subsection.
97 (d) An autopsy must be performed under the authority of a
98 medical examiner under s. 406.11.
99 (5) DEPARTMENT DUTIES RELATING TO SUDDEN UNEXPECTED INFANT
100 DEATH (SUID) SYNDROME (SIDS).—The Department of Health, in
101 consultation with the child protection teams established in the
102 Children’s Medical Services program, shall:
103 (a) Collaborate with other agencies in the development and
104 presentation of the SUID Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
105 training programs for first responders, including those for
106 emergency medical technicians and paramedics, firefighters, and
107 law enforcement officers.
108 (b) Maintain a database of statistics on reported SUID SIDS
109 deaths, and analyze the data as funds allow.
110 (c) Serve as liaison and closely coordinate activities with
111 the Florida SIDS Alliance, including the services related to the
112 SIDS hotline.
113 (d) Maintain a library reference list and materials about
114 SUID SIDS for public dissemination.
115 (e) Provide professional support to field staff.
116 (f) Coordinate the activities of and promote a link between
117 the fetal and infant mortality review committees of the local
118 healthy start coalitions, the Florida local SIDS Alliance, and
119 other related support groups.
120 (6) SUID AND SAFE SLEEP INFORMATION.—Each hospital and
121 birthing center in this state shall provide information on SUID
122 and safe sleep practices to parents of newborns before
123 discharge.
124 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.
125
126 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
127 And the title is amended as follows:
128 Delete everything before the enacting clause
129 and insert:
130 A bill to be entitled
131 An act relating to infant death; amending s. 383.3362,
132 F.S.; revising legislative findings and intent with
133 respect to the sudden unexpected death of an infant
134 under a specified age; defining the term “Sudden
135 Unexpected Infant Death” (SUID); revising provisions
136 relating to training requirements for first
137 responders; revising requirements relating to
138 autopsies performed by medical examiners; requiring
139 the Medical Examiners Commission to provide for the
140 development and implementation of a protocol for the
141 medicolegal investigation of SUID; requiring each
142 hospital and birthing center in this state to provide
143 information on SUID and safe sleep practices to
144 parents of newborns before discharge; providing an
145 effective date.