Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1387
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SCHROER.
5645S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 194, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to autopsies, with
penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 194, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 194.118, to read as 2
follows:3
194.118. 1. As used in this section, the following 1
terms mean: 2
(1) "Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS)", the 3
sudden and unexpected death due to cardiac arrhythmia, as 4
determined by performance of an autopsy or a clinical 5
investigation, of a young, apparently healthy individual 6
with no previously diagnosed structural heart disease; 7
(2) "Sudden death in the young (SDY)", the sudden and 8
unexpected death of an individual younger than twenty years 9
of age due to natural causes, including, but not limited to, 10
sudden cardiac death or sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, 11
which death remains unexplained after initial investigation; 12
(3) "Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)", the sudden 13
death of an infant younger than one year of age which 14
remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, 15
including performance of an autopsy, scene investigations, 16
and a review of clinical history; 17
SB 1387 2
(4) "Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID)", the 18
sudden and unexpected death of an infant younger than one 19
year of age, whether explained or unexplained, including, 20
but not limited to, death caused by SIDS, accidental 21
suffocation, and other potential causes; 22
(5) "SUID and SDY Case Registry", the national 23
surveillance system coordinated by the Centers for Disease 24
Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health 25
that collects standardized data on sudden and unexpected 26
deaths in individuals younger than twenty years of age. 27
2. In the case of an infant or child who dies suddenly 28
and unexpectedly, including cases of SIDS, SUID, or SDY, the 29
autopsy shall include microscopic and toxicology studies and 30
a review of the child's immunization and medical records 31
through the ShowMeVax system, or its successor registry, 32
from the child's primary health care provider, or from other 33
sources. The county coroner or medical examiner shall 34
document in the autopsy report any immunizations or 35
emergency countermeasures administered to the child within 36
ninety days before the child's death and report the case to 37
the SUID and SDY Case Registry in accordance with protocols 38
established by the Centers for Disease Control and 39
Prevention and the department of health and senior services. 40
3. In the case of a sudden death suspected to be 41
caused by SADS in an individual of any age, the autopsy 42
shall include microscopic and toxicology studies and a 43
review of the individual's immunization and medical records, 44
as available through state health databases or other 45
sources. The county coroner or medical examiner shall 46
document in the autopsy report any immunizations or 47
emergency countermeasures administered to the individual 48
within ninety days before the individual's death and report 49
SB 1387 3
the case to the SUID and SDY Case Registry if the individual 50
was younger than twenty years old at the time of death, in 51
accordance with protocols established by the Centers for 52
Disease Control and Prevention and the department. 53
4. The department shall impose the following 54
administrative penalties against a county coroner or medical 55
examiner who fails to report a case of SIDS, SUID, SDY, or 56
SADS for individuals younger than twenty years of age to the 57
SUID and SDY Case Registry within thirty days after 58
completing the autopsy report: 59
(1) For the first unreported case, a fine of up to one 60
thousand dollars; and 61
(2) For the second and each subsequent unreported 62
case, a fine of up to five thousand dollars. The department 63
shall report those coroners and medical examiners with a 64
license to practice in this state to their respective 65
professional licensing boards for disciplinary action, which 66
may include suspension or revocation of license. 67
✓