SB1011

THE CONTEXT: and any countermeasures administered in the 90 days prior. History In cases of sudden and unexplained infant death, a forensic pathologist is required to perform an autopsy in accordance with protocols adopted by the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) Director.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would require a county medical examiner or forensic pathologist, in cases of a sudden and unexplained infant death, to review the infant's immunization and vaccination history and any countermeasures that were administered in the 90 days before the infant's death and instruct the county medical examiner or forensic pathologist to report all sudden and unexplained infant deaths to a national case registry that records all sudden unexpected infant deaths and sudden death in the young in accordance with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to give patients a defined set of rights and a clear informed-consent standard. It would require a county medical examiner or forensic pathologist, in cases of a sudden and unexplained infant death, to review the infant's immunization and vaccination history and any countermeasures that were administered in the 90 days before the infant's death, and would also instruct the county medical examiner or forensic pathologist to report all sudden and unexplained infant deaths to a national case registry that records all sudden unexpected infant deaths and sudden death in the young in accordance with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.