PETITION OF:

Jeffrey Davis Perry

Kathi-Anne Reinstein

Cleon H. Turner

Jennifer L. Flanagan

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Martin J. Walsh

George N. Peterson, Jr.

Karyn E. Polito

Paul K. Frost

John A. Lepper

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

Mary S. Rogeness

Peter V. Kocot

Richard J. Ross

Alice K. Wolf

Stephen P. LeDuc

John V. Fernandes

Richard T. Moore

Ellen Story

Elizabeth A. Poirier

Paul J. P. Loscocco

Harold P. Naughton, Jr.

SECTION 1. Chapter 38 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 21, the following section: --

Section 22. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council: (1) There shall be establish a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council under the supervision and control of the Chief Medical Examiners Office, which shall be within the Executive Office of Public Safety.

(2) The Council shall research and develop an appropriate training component on the subject of sudden or unexplained child death, including but not limited to sudden infant death syndrome. The training component shall include, at a minimum:

     (a) Medical information on sudden, unexplained child death for first responders, including awareness and sensitivity in dealing with families and child care providers, and the importance of forensically competent death scene investigation;

     (b) Information on community resources and support groups available to assist families who have lost a child to sudden or unexplained death, including sudden infant death syndrome; and

     (c) The value of timely communication between the office of the Chief Medical Examiners and the Massachusetts Center for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or its designee, when a sudden or unexplained child death occurs, in order to achieve a better understanding of such deaths, and connecting families to various community and public health support systems to enhance recovery from grief.

     (3) The Council shall work with volunteer groups with expertise in the area of sudden or unexplained child death, including but not limited to the Massachusetts Center for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

     (4) Basic training for death investigators offered by the Commonwelath of Massachusetts to coroners and medical examiners and the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council shall include a module which specifically addresses the investigations of the sudden unexplained deaths of children under the age of three. The training module shall include a scene investigation protocol endorsed or developed by the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council. A similar training curriculum shall be required for law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel certified by the Department of Public Health as part of their basic training through the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council or the department of health emergency medical training certification program. Focusing on

     (5) The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council shall develop guidelines for each coroner, medical examiner, law enforcement officer, and other emergency medical personnel shall use a protocol that has been endorsed or developed by the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council for scene investigations of the sudden unexplained deaths of children under the age of three. The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council may utilize guidelines from the center for disease control and other appropriate resources.

     (6) The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council shall develop a protocol for autopsies of children under the age of three whose deaths are sudden and unexplained. This protocol shall be used by pathologists who are not certified by the American board of pathology in forensic pathology, and who are providing autopsy services to coroners and medical examiners.

SECTION 2. The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Advisory Council shall be made up of a professional member of the Massachusetts Center for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health or his designee, the Chief Medical Examiner of or his designee, a Massachusetts State Police CPAC unit member, a representative from the emergency medical services, and two members of the general public who have lost a family member to SIDS. Said Committee shall be appointed by the Secretary of Public Safety on which members will serve a term of two years.

SECTION 3. This Act shall be known as the Paige Victoria Perry Act.