South Carolina H 4630: Autopsies

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4630 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4630

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH 
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 17-5-545 SO AS TO REQUIRE CORONERS AND 
MEDICAL EXAMINERS TO REPORT CERTAIN SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED DEATHS OF INFANTS AND 
YOUNG INDIVIDUALS TO A NATIONAL REGISTRY COORDINATED BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE 
CONTROL AND PREVENTION AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; TO ESTABLISH 
PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO REPORT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 7, Chapter 5, Title 17 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
17-5-545. (A) In the case of an 
infant or child who dies suddenly and unexpectedly, including cases of SIDS, 
SUID, or SDY, the autopsy must include microscopic and toxicology studies and a 
review of the child's immunization and medical records, as available from the 
Department of Public Health pursuant to Section 44-29-180, from the child's 
pediatrician or primary care practitioner, or from other sources. The coroner 
or medical examiner shall document in the autopsy report any immunizations or 
emergency countermeasures administered to the child within ninety days before 
the child's death and report the case to the SUID and SDY Case Registry in 
accordance with protocols established by the Department of Public Health and 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 (B) In 
the case of a sudden death suspected to be caused by SADS in an individual of 
any age, the autopsy must include microscopic and toxicology studies and a 
review of the individual's immunization and medical records, as available 
through state public health databases or other sources. The coroner or medical 
examiner shall document in the autopsy report any immunizations or emergency 
countermeasures administered to the individual within ninety days before the 
individual's death and report the case to the SUID and SDY Case Registry if the 
individual was younger than twenty years of age at the time of death, in 
accordance with protocols established by the Department of Public Health and 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 (C) 
The Department of Public Health shall impose the following administrative 
penalties against a coroner or medical examiner who fails to report a case of 
SIDS, SUID, SDY, or SADS, for individuals younger than twenty years of age, to 
the SUID and SDY Case Registry within thirty days after completing the autopsy 
report:

 (1) 
for the first unreported case, a fine of up to one thousand dollars;

 (2) 
for the second unreported case, a fine of up to five thousand dollars; and

 (3) 
for repeated noncompliance by a medical examiner, referral to the applicable 
medical examiner commission for disciplinary action, which may include 
suspension or removal.

 (D) 
Compliance with the reporting and documentation requirements of this section is 
deemed a permissible disclosure under state and federal medical privacy laws, 
including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

 (E) As 
used in this section:

 (1) 
"Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome" or "SADS" means the sudden and unexpected 
death due to cardiac arrhythmia, as determined by performance of an autopsy or 
a clinical investigation, of a young, apparently healthy individual with no 
previously diagnosed structural heart disease.

 (2) 
"Sudden Death in the Young" or "SDY" means the sudden and unexpected death of 
an individual younger than twenty years of age due to natural causes including, 
but not limited to, sudden cardiac death or sudden unexpected death in 
epilepsy, which death remains unexplained after initial investigation.

 (3) 
"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" or "SIDS" means the sudden death of an infant 
younger than one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case 
investigation, including performance of an autopsy, scene investigations, and a 
review of clinical history.

 (4) 
"Sudden Unexpected Infant Death" or "SUID" means the sudden and unexpected 
death of an infant younger than one year of age, whether explained or 
unexplained including, but not limited to, death caused by SIDS, accidental 
suffocation, and other potential causes.

 (5) 
"Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry" or 
"SUID and SDY Case Registry" means the national surveillance system coordinated 
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes 
of Health which collects standardized data on sudden and unexpected deaths in 
individuals younger than twenty years of age.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on Dece