1. (a) This section applies to a child who:

   1. (1) died suddenly and unexpectedly;
   2. (2) was less than three (3) years of age at the time of death; and
   3. (3) was in apparent good health before dying.
2. (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).
3. (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.
4. (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.

5. (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. (1) Comprehensive autopsy including the following:

      1. (A) Imaging.
      2. (B) Pathology.
      3. (C) Toxicology.
   2. (2) Death scene investigation to include death scene photos.
   3. (3) Submission of the sudden unexplained infant death report form to a child death pathologist.

6. (f) The child death pathologist shall:

   1. (1) ensure that a tangible summary of the autopsy results is provided;
   2. (2) provide informational material concerning sudden infant death syndrome; and

   3. (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.

7. (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. (1) request; or

   2. (2) completion of the autopsy report;

      whichever is later, at no cost.

8. (h) A coroner shall notify:

   1. (1) a local child fatality review team; or

   2. (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).

As added by P.L.225-2007, SEC.14. Amended by P.L.143-2022, SEC.78.