SB207 • 2026

SUDP; Office of Chief Medical Examiner, protocol in referring cases involving manner of death, etc.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to direct the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to assess the feasibility of implementing and administering a protocol to refer cases involving Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy to public or private institutions and to publish resources with information on Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy on its website.</p>

Healthcare

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Pekarsky
Last action: 2026-02-25
Official status: Failed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify which public or private institutions will receive the case details, nor does it mention providing direct contact information and resources to families.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Protocol

This bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to assess if a protocol can be implemented for cases involving Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) and requires them to share information on SUDEP with public or private institutions and publish resources online.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to look into making a protocol for when someone dies from SUDEP.
The protocol would involve sending case details about people who died from SUDEP to certain organizations.
It requires publishing information on SUDEP on their website.

Who It Names or Affects

People with epilepsy
Families of those who have died from SUDEP
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

Terms To Know

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP): A sudden, unexplained death of a person with epilepsy.
North American SUDEP Registry: An organization that collects and studies information about people who have died from SUDEP.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify which public or private institutions will receive the case details.
It is unclear how much funding will be provided for implementing this protocol.

Bill History

2026-02-25 Appropriations
Tabled in Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-25 House
House committee offered
2026-02-18 Health & Human Resources
Assigned HAPP sub: Health & Human Resources
2026-02-17 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-17 Appropriations
Referred to Committee on Appropriations
2026-02-17 House
Read first time
2026-02-13 Finance and Appropriations
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB207)
2026-02-11 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-10 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-10 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)
2026-02-10 Education and Health
Education and Health Substitute rejected
2026-02-10 Finance and Appropriations
Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
2026-02-10 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-02-09 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-09 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-09 Finance and Appropriations
Committee substitute printed 26107388D-S2
2026-02-09 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-09 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-05 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
2026-01-30 Education and Health
Committee substitute printed 26105824D-S1
2026-01-27 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB207)
2026-01-22 Education and Health
Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 0-N 1-A)
2026-01-22 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-01-21 Health
Senate subcommittee offered
2026-01-20 Health
Senate subcommittee offered
2026-01-20 Health
Assigned Education sub: Health
2026-01-09 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100765D
2026-01-09 Education and Health
Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Official Summary Text

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy; protocol; information.
Directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to assess the feasibility of implementing a protocol upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), as defined in the bill. Such protocol would require the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to refer cases of SUDEP to certain public or private institutions and publish resources with information on SUDEP on its website.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL NO. 207

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Appropriations

on February 25, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Pekarsky)

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.

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.

A. For the purposes of this section, "Sudden Unexpected Death
i
n Epilepsy" or "SUDEP" means
the sudden, unexplained death of a
healthy
individual with epilepsy occurring under circumstances that are benign and exclud
ing
causes such as trauma, drowning, or status epilepticus.

B. In any case involving a cause of death
determined to be
SUDEP pursuant to
a death investigation as required by

§
32.1-283
, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall release to the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia the decedent's name, date of death, and
,
if known, next of kin contact information. The Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia 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.