SB 383: Child Abuse; local child fatality review committees; modify the review

Georgia law already requires each county to have a local committee that reviews certain child deaths, such as those from injury, abuse, or unexplained causes. This bill changes what those committees do and how they operate. Instead of determining the manner and cause of death and whether it was preventable, committees would instead focus on identifying opportunities for intervention and making recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future. The bill adds a local hospital or mental health representative and a local school system representative to each committee, and requires agencies to send a representative to annual training or face a contempt order from a judge. It broadens the sudden infant death category to include sudden unexplained infant death and sleep-related infant death. Coroners would get seven days instead of 48 hours to notify committee chairpersons of a child's death, and committees would get 90 days instead of 20 to finish their reports. Committees may also consult the Georgia Bureau of Investigation when it is unclear whether a death meets the criteria for review. Annual reports may now be published on a website instead of only in a legal newspaper.

• Changes the purpose of local child fatality reviews from determining cause and manner of death to identifying opportunities for intervention and preventing future similar deaths.
• Adds a local hospital or mental health representative and a local school system representative to each county review committee.
• Requires agencies to send a representative to annual training, with a judge able to order compliance and hold agencies in contempt for failing to comply.
• Broadens the sudden infant death category eligible for review to include sudden unexplained infant death and sleep related infant death.
• Extends the coroner's notification deadline from 48 hours to seven days and the committee's report completion deadline from 20 days to 90 days.
• Allows a review committee to consult the Georgia Bureau of Investigation when it is unclear whether a death meets the criteria for review, while keeping final determination with the committee.

County medical examiners and coroners, district attorneys, county departments of family and children services, local law enforcement and sheriffs, juvenile courts, public health departments, hospitals, mental health providers, school systems, superior court judges, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, all of whom participate in or interact with local child fatality review committees.

Families and communities affected by a child's death would see committees spend more time investigating (90 days instead of 20) and focus explicitly on preventing future deaths rather than only determining cause of death. New committee members, like school and hospital representatives, could bring different information into the review process, and required training attendance adds accountability for participating agencies.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 19-15-3 to shift the review committee's stated purpose from determining manner and cause of death to identifying intervention opportunities and prevention recommendations.
• Section 1 adds a local hospital or mental health representative and a local school system representative to the list of required committee members.
• Section 1 requires agency attendance at annual training and lets a superior court judge order compliance, with noncompliance punishable as contempt of court.
• Section 1 broadens eligible sudden infant deaths to include sudden unexplained infant death and sleep related infant death, not just Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Section 1 changes the coroner's notification deadline to the committee chairperson from 48 hours to seven days after receiving notice of a child's death.
• Section 1 removes several older subsections describing a multi-step form review process between the coroner and chairperson, replacing them with a requirement that the committee convene every 30 days and may consult the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on unclear cases.
• Section 1 extends the deadline for the committee to complete its death review report from 20 days to 90 days after its first meeting.
• Section 1 allows annual committee reports to be published on a publicly available website in addition to the county's legal organ, and requires transmission of the annual report to the state panel by July 15.

1. 2026-05-06Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-06Act 421
3. 2026-05-06Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-03-18House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2026-03-18House Third Readers (House)
7. 2026-02-24House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2026-02-10House Second Readers (House)

• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)Primary sponsor
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Devan Seabaugh (R, HD-034)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 6, 2026

   48 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #523

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 18, 2026

   165 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 8 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #719

• child abuse prevention
• child fatality review
• public health policy
• local government committees
• child welfare