SUDP; Office of Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on its website.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about funding amounts or whether training materials are currently available.

SUDEP Reporting and Training

This bill requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information about SUDEP on their website and mandates training for medical examiners in investigating SUDEP.

What This Bill Does

• Defines SUDEP as a sudden death of someone with epilepsy that is not caused by drowning, injury, or other known reasons.
• Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information about SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on their website.
• Directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to refer cases involving SUDEP to institutions for further investigation and provide next of kin with information about the North American SUDEP Registry.
• Requires medical examiners, including newly appointed ones, to complete one hour of virtual training in investigating SUDEP every three years.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
• Medical examiners
• Families of people who died from SUDEP

Terms To Know

SUDEP

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, which is a sudden death of someone with epilepsy that has no clear cause.

North American SUDEP Registry

A registry where medical information about people who died from SUDEP can be submitted and studied.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much funding will be provided for these requirements.
• It is unclear if the training materials are already available or need to be developed.

Official Summary Text

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information; training.
Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to take certain actions upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), defined in the bill. The bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on its website. Additionally, the bill requires the Chief Medical Examiner and local medical examiners to complete training in the investigation of SUDEP on a triennial basis.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
32.1-283.9
, relating to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information; training.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
32.1-283.9
as follows:

§
32.1-283.9
. Investigation of deaths involving
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy;

protocol; information; training.

A. For purposes of this section,
"
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy
"
or
"
SUDEP
"
means the sudden and unexplained death of a healthy individual with epilepsy that is not by drowning, injury, or other known causes
.

B.
In any case involving a manner of death consistent with SUDEP, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall
(i) in addition to other information it deems appropriate, disclose its investigation into the cause of death in a full report, which shall include written findings pursuant to §
32.1-283
, and (ii) within 30 days of such finding refer the case to a public or private institution
, which shall provide to the decedent's next of kin, if known, information regarding the benefits of and process for submitting the deceased's medical information, including information about the deceased's history of epilepsy and seizures, to the North American SUDEP Registry.

C. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
shall publish
resources with information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on its website.

D. The Chief Medical Examiner and all assistant medical examiners shall complete one hour of virtual training in the investigation of SUDEP per triennium. Newly appointed medical examiners shall complete such training within 90 days of appointment.

E. These duties shall be performed up to the amount funded by public and private institutions.