Autopsies

2025-2026 Bill 4630: Autopsies - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4630
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Kilmartin, Pope, Oremus, Edgerton and Magnuson
Document Path: LC-0351VR26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Autopsies
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 40
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 40
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
17-5-545
SO AS TO REQUIRE CORONERS AND
MEDICAL EXAMINERS TO REPORT CERTAIN SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED DEATHS OF INFANTS AND
YOUNG INDIVIDUALS TO A NATIONAL REGISTRY COORDINATED BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; TO ESTABLISH
PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO REPORT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 7, Chapter 5, Title 17 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
17-5-545
.
(
A) In the case of an
infant or child who dies suddenly and unexpectedly, including cases of SIDS,
SUID, or SDY, the autopsy must include microscopic and toxicology studies and a
review of the child's immunization and medical records, as available from the
Department of Public Health pursuant to Section
44-29-180
, from the child's
pediatrician or primary care practitioner, or from other sources. The coroner
or medical examiner shall document in the autopsy report any immunizations or
emergency countermeasures administered to the child within ninety days before
the child's death and report the case to the SUID and SDY Case Registry in
accordance with protocols established by the Department of Public Health and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(
B) In
the case of a sudden death suspected to be caused by SADS in an individual of
any age, the autopsy must include microscopic and toxicology studies and a
review of the individual's immunization and medical records, as available
through state public health databases or other sources. The coroner or medical
examiner shall document in the autopsy report any immunizations or emergency
countermeasures administered to the individual within ninety days before the
individual's death and report the case to the SUID and SDY Case Registry if the
individual was younger than twenty years of age at the time of death, in
accordance with protocols established by the Department of Public Health and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(
C)
The Department of Public Health shall impose the following administrative
penalties against a coroner or medical examiner who fails to report a case of
SIDS, SUID, SDY, or SADS, for individuals younger than twenty years of age, to
the SUID and SDY Case Registry within thirty days after completing the autopsy
report:

(
1)
for the first unreported case, a fine of up to one thousand dollars;

(
2)
for the second unreported case, a fine of up to five thousand dollars; and

(
3)
for repeated noncompliance by a medical examiner, referral to the applicable
medical examiner commission for disciplinary action, which may include
suspension or removal.

(
D)
Compliance with the reporting and documentation requirements of this section is
deemed a permissible disclosure under state and federal medical privacy laws,
including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

(
E) As
used in this section:

(
1)
"Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome" or "SADS" means the sudden and unexpected
death due to cardiac arrhythmia, as determined by performance of an autopsy or
a clinical investigation, of a young, apparently healthy individual with no
previously diagnosed structural heart disease.

(
2)
"Sudden Death in the Young" or "SDY" means the sudden and unexpected death of
an individual younger than twenty years of age due to natural causes including,
but not limited to, sudden cardiac death or sudden unexpected death in
epilepsy, which death remains unexplained after initial investigation.

(
3)
"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" or "SIDS" means the sudden death of an infant
younger than one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case
investigation, including performance of an autopsy, scene investigations, and a
review of clinical history.

(
4)
"Sudden Unexpected Infant Death" or "SUID" means the sudden and unexpected
death of an infant younger than one year of age, whether explained or
unexplained including, but not limited to, death caused by SIDS, accidental
suffocation, and other potential causes.

(
5)
"Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry" or
"SUID and SDY Case Registry" means the national surveillance system coordinated
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes
of Health which collects standardized data on sudden and unexpected deaths in
individuals younger than twenty years of age.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:43 PM