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) 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.

(f) 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.

(g) 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).

As added by P.L.225-2007, SEC.14.