Autopsies of children who may have died of sudden infant death syndrome; autopsy reports

Sec. 6.7. (a) This section applies to a child who: (1) died suddenly and unexpectedly; (2) was less than three (3) years of age at the time of death; and (3) was in apparent good health before dying. (b) A child death pathologist or a pathology resident acting under the direct supervision of a child death pathologist shall conduct an autopsy of a child described in subsection (a). (c) A county coroner may not certify the cause of death of a child described in subsection (a) until an autopsy is performed at county expense. (d) The county coroner shall contact the parent or guardian of a child described in subsection (a) and notify the parent or guardian that an autopsy will be conducted at county expense. (e) A county coroner may not certify the cause of death for an infant described in subsection (a) as a sudden unexplained infant death, including sudden infant death syndrome, until a comprehensive death investigation is performed at the county's expense that includes the following: (1) Comprehensive autopsy including the following: (A) Imaging. (B) Pathology. (C) Toxicology. (2) Death scene investigation to include death scene photos. (3) Submission of the sudden unexplained infant death report form to a child death pathologist. (f) The child death pathologist shall: (1) ensure that a tangible summary of the autopsy results is provided; (2) provide informational material concerning sudden infant death syndrome; and (3) unless the release of autopsy results would jeopardize a law enforcement investigation, provide notice that a parent or guardian has the right to receive the preliminary autopsy results; to the parents or guardian of the child within one (1) week after the autopsy. (g) If a parent or guardian of a child described in subsection (a) requests the autopsy report of the child, the coroner shall provide the autopsy report to the parent or guardian within thirty (30) days after the: (1) request; or (2) completion of the autopsy report; whichever is later, at no cost. (h) A coroner shall notify: (1) a local child fatality review team; or (2) if the county does not have a local child fatality review team, the statewide child fatality review committee; of the death of a child described in subsection (a).