HB497 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Johnny Mack Morrow

Democrat

Co-Sponsors

Mike HillMac McCutcheonMike BallAllen TreadawayApril WeaverWayne JohnsonAllen Farley

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Infants, sudden unexplained infant death, Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Team, established, duties, coordination of county officials, law enforcement, medical or emergency personnel, immunity, Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Act

Summary

HB497 creates an Alabama Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Act, establishing a SUIDI Team to standardize training and protocols, coordinate investigations by coroners, law enforcement, and medical personnel, and provide limited liability protections.

What This Bill Does

It sets up the Alabama SUIDI Team within the Department of Public Health as part of the State Child Death Review Team to develop and maintain SUID training and investigation protocols. It requires investigations to follow approved protocols and use standardized reporting forms, with training required for investigators and coroners, and dissemination of protocols to relevant agencies. It also requires timely coordination in SUID cases, with changes to protocols promptly communicated to relevant associations and agencies, and it grants immunity to certain persons or entities under specified conditions.

Who It Affects

• Law enforcement agencies, county coroners or medical examiners (and their personnel) must follow the SUIDI protocol, use approved reporting forms, obtain training, and coordinate with the SUIDI Team.
• The Alabama Department of Public Health, law enforcement associations, the Alabama Coroner's Association, forensic pathologists, and related professional groups will develop, provide, and disseminate training and protocols, maintain curricula, and communicate updates statewide.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Alabama Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation (SUIDI) Team within the Department of Public Health as a subcommittee of the State Child Death Review Team, to develop and maintain SUIDI training curricula and related duties; protocol and reporting forms are not subject to Administrative Procedure Act rule making.
• The SUIDI Team shall establish an infant death scene investigation protocol and develop/maintain training standards, policies, and procedures for investigating and reporting SUID; it also approves a standardized reporting form.
• Investigations must use the SUIDI Team–approved protocol and forms in all SUID incidents; law enforcement must ensure personnel are trained; coroners and deputy coroners must obtain training and use the forms.
• Training must emphasize sensitivity to grieving families; the ADPH must develop a team of trainers and disseminate the protocol and forms to law enforcement associations and the Alabama Coroner's Association.
• ADPH must notify associations and promptly disseminate protocol changes to agencies and coroners upon updates.
• In every SUID case, the county coroner or medical examiner must be notified, cooperate with law enforcement, obtain legal authorization to send the infant to a forensic pathologist, initiate the investigation within 24 hours, and send the approved investigative form to the pathologist.
• The act provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for certain persons and entities under specified conditions; it takes effect on the first day of the sixth month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Children