PRINTER'S NO. 3587
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2549
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY BOROWSKI, C. WILLIAMS, KHAN, HILL-EVANS, BRENNAN,
SCHLOSSBERG, PROBST, CURRY, MERSKI, GILLEN AND SANCHEZ,
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 6, 2024
AN ACT
Amending Title 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in coroner, providing for sudden unexpected death
in epilepsy.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 16 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 13921.1. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
(a) Inquiry.--An autopsy conducted by a coroner in this
Commonwealth shall include an inquiry to determine whether the
death of the deceased individual was a direct result of a
seizure or epilepsy.
(b) Duties of coroner.--If the findings of the autopsy under
subsection (a) are consistent with known or suspected SUDEP, the
coroner shall:
(1) Cause to be indicated on the death certificate of
the deceased individual that SUDEP is the cause or suspected
cause of death.
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(2) Provide the next of kin of the deceased individual
with a form, developed and provided by the Department of
Health, which provides contact information for a third-party
entity that documents and analyzes SUDEP deaths in order to
reveal SUDEP risk factors and causes and develop preventive
measures.
(c) Applicability.--This section shall apply to counties of
the first class, second class, second class A, third class,
fourth class, fifth class, sixth class, seventh class and eighth
class.
(d) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "sudden
unexpected death in epilepsy" or "SUDEP" shall refer to a death
in a patient previously diagnosed with epilepsy that is not due
to trauma, drowning, status epilepticus or other known causes
but for which there is often evidence of an associated seizure.
A finding of SUDEP is definite when clinical criteria are met
and an autopsy reveals no alternative cause of death, such as
stroke, myocardial infarction or drug intoxication, although
there may be evidence of a seizure.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20240HB2549PN3587 - 2 -
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