HB 1442 — An Act amending Title 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in coroner, further providing for coroner's investigation and providing for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

PRINTER'S NO.     1689

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 1442
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY BOROWSKI, FLOOD, HILL-EVANS, DIAMOND, OLSOMMER,
        VENKAT, FREEMAN, GIRAL, CERRATO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SANCHEZ,
        WARREN, CURRY AND GREEN, MAY 12, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MAY 13, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 2      Statutes, in coroner, further providing for coroner's
 3      investigation and providing for sudden unexpected death in
 4      epilepsy.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.     Section 13918(a) of Title 16 of the Pennsylvania
 8   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a paragraph to read:
 9   § 13918.    Coroner's investigation.
10      (a)     Duties.--The coroner having a view of the body shall
11   investigate the facts and circumstances concerning a death that
12   appears to have happened within the county, notwithstanding
13   where the cause of the death may have occurred, for the purpose
14   of determining if an autopsy or inquest should be conducted in
15   the following cases:
16            * * *
17            (12)    A sudden unexplained death in a person diagnosed
18      with epilepsy.
 1      * * *
 2      Section 2.     Title 16 is amended by adding a section to read:
 3   § 13921.1.     Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
 4      (a)   Inquiry.--An autopsy conducted by a coroner in this
 5   Commonwealth shall include an inquiry to determine whether the
 6   death of the deceased individual was a direct result of a
 7   seizure or epilepsy.
 8      (b)   Duties of coroner.--If the findings of the autopsy under
 9   subsection (a) are consistent with known or suspected SUDEP, the
10   coroner shall:
11            (1)   Cause to be indicated on the death certificate of
12      the deceased individual that SUDEP is the cause or suspected
13      cause of death, when appropriate.
14            (2)   Provide the next of kin contact information for a
15      third-party entity that documents and analyzes SUDEP deaths
16      in order to reveal SUDEP risk factors and causes.
17      (c)   Applicability.--This section shall apply to counties of
18   the first class, second class, second class A, third class,
19   fourth class, fifth class, sixth class, seventh class and eighth
20   class.
21      (d)   Definition.--As used in this section, the term "sudden
22   unexpected death in epilepsy" or "SUDEP" shall refer to a death
23   in a patient previously diagnosed with epilepsy that is not due
24   to trauma, drowning, status epilepticus or other known causes
25   but for which there is often evidence of an associated seizure.
26   A finding of SUDEP is definite when clinical criteria are met
27   and an autopsy reveals no alternative cause of death, including
28   stroke, myocardial infarction or drug intoxication, although
29   there may be evidence of a seizure.
30      Section 3.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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