Bill Amendment: FL S0056 | 2013 | Regular Session
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: Infant Death
Status: 2013-05-30 - Chapter No. 2013-62 [S0056 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S0056-Children_Families_and_Elder_Affairs_Committee_Amendment_Delete_All_596680.html
Bill Title: Infant Death
Status: 2013-05-30 - Chapter No. 2013-62 [S0056 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S0056-Children_Families_and_Elder_Affairs_Committee_Amendment_Delete_All_596680.html
Florida Senate - 2013 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 56 Barcode 596680 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House Comm: WD . 03/13/2013 . . . . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— 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 DeathSyndrome.— 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 13sudden Infant death Syndrome, or SIDS, is a leading cause of14death among children under the age of 1 year, both nationally15and 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 causeddistinguish SIDS from death causedby 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 increasethe24 awareness of the possible causes of Sudden Unexpected Infant 25 DeathSIDS 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 Deathstandard protocol for review of SIDS deaths by medical30examiners and the importance of appropriate followup in cases of31certified or suspected SIDS deaths. Finally, the Legislature 32 finds that it is desirable to analyze existing data,andto33 conduct further research on,the possible causes of Sudden 34 Unexpected Infant DeathSIDSand on how to reduce its incidence 35lower the number of sudden infant deaths. 36 (2) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term “Sudden 37 Unexpected Infant DeathSyndrome,” 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 causeswhichremains unexplained after a41complete autopsy, death-sceneinvestigation, and review of the42case history.The term includes only those deaths for which,43currently, 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 SUIDSudden 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 SUIDSIDS, 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 upon74any infant under the age of 1 year who is suspected to have died75of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The autopsy must be performed76within 24 hours after the death, or as soon thereafter as is77feasible. When the medical examiner’s findings are consistent78with the definition of sudden infant death syndrome in79subsection (2), the medical examiner must state on the death80certificate that sudden infant death syndrome was the cause of81death.82 (b) The Medical Examiners Commission shall provide for the 83 development and implementation ofdevelop and implementa 84 protocol for the medicolegal investigation of SUIDdealing with85suspected sudden infant death syndrome.The protocol must be86followed by all medical examiners when conducting the autopsies87required 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 91ascertaining cause of death based on the autopsy, criteria for92any specific tissue sampling, and any other requirements that93the commission considersnecessary. 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 a98medical 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 SUIDSudden 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 SUIDSIDS109 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 the112SIDS hotline. 113 (d) Maintain a library reference list and materials about 114 SUIDSIDSfor 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 FloridalocalSIDS 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.