{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-213.161","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 213.161","heading":"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Program -- Collection of a tissue sample","body":"during autopsy, conditions.\n(1) In order to obtain information which may be useful to research organizations\nstudying the causes and incidence of the sudden infant death sy ndrome, a program\nis hereby established in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The purpose of\nthis program shall be to obtain factual information concerning the characteristics,\nincidence, and distribution of the sudden infant death syndrome throug hout the\nCommonwealth and to provide a means of public education concerning any\nresearch findings which may lead to the possible means of prevention, early\nidentification, and treatment of children susceptible to the sudden infant death\nsyndrome.\n(2) In instances where an ostensibly healthy child dies suddenly and unexpectedly with\nno known or apparent cause as determined by a physician or a coroner, an autopsy\nwith the written approval of the parents or legal guardian of the child shall be\nperformed within forty-eight (48) hours and the results reported to the cabinet and\nto the parents or legal guardian of the child.\n(3) At the request of the parent or legal guardian of a child who has died under\ncircumstances described in subsection (2) of this section or  in the case of the death\nof any child, a tissue sample may be collected during the autopsy of the child's body\nand shared for research purposes, assuming the tissue harvest will not interfere with\nthe determination of the cause and manner of death.\n(4) In order to implement the provisions of this section, the secretary of the Cabinet for\nHealth and Family Services shall:\n(a) Promulgate administrative regulations as may be necessary in order to obtain\nin proper form all information relating to the occurrenc e of sudden infant\ndeaths which is relevant and appropriate for the establishment of a reliable\nstatistical index of the incidence, distribution, and characteristics of cases of\nthe sudden infant death syndrome;\n(b) Collect such factual information from ph ysicians, coroners, medical\nexaminers, hospitals, and public health officials who have examined any child\nknown or believed to have the sudden infant death syndrome;\n(c) Make such factual information available to physicians, coroners, medical\nexaminers, hospitals, public health officials, and educational and institutional\norganizations conducting research as to the causes and incidence of the sudden\ninfant death syndrome;\n(d) Cause appropriate counseling services to be established and maintained for\nfamilies affected by the occurrence of the sudden infant death syndrome; and\n(e) Conduct educational programs to inform the general public of any research\nfindings of educational and institutional organizations which may lead to the\npossible means of prevention, early identification, and treatment of the sudden\ninfant death syndrome.","path":["KRS Chapter 213"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=50477","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:52:17Z","sha256":"c6fb2b04ae0fc61c997962298c671a232684479705aaaf04540383821c802ed2","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-213.160","next":"us-ky/krs-213.166"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}