SB 546: Death Investigations; include microscopic and toxicology studies and immunization records in the investigation of a sudden and unexpected death of a child; require coroner and medical examiners

Under current Georgia law, coroners and medical examiners investigate sudden deaths and file reports, but the law does not specifically require extra testing or an immunization review when the person who died is a child. This bill changes that by adding a requirement to O.C.G.A. § 45-16-32: whenever an infant or child dies unexpectedly or without explanation, the investigation report must include microscopic and toxicology studies, a review of the child's immunization and medical records, and a check of any vaccines or emergency treatments given within 90 days before the death. To make that review possible, the bill also amends Georgia's vaccination registry law (O.C.G.A. § 31-12-3.1) to add coroners and medical examiners to the list of people who can receive individually identifiable vaccination information without the deceased person's or family's consent, specifically for these death investigations. The bill repeals any conflicting laws.

• Requires coroners and medical examiners investigating the sudden or unexplained death of an infant or child to include microscopic and toxicology studies in their report.
• Requires those investigators to review the child's immunization and medical records as part of the same investigation.
• Requires the report to note any immunizations or emergency medical countermeasures given to the child in the 90 days before death.
• Amends the state vaccination registry law so coroners and medical examiners can access individually identifiable vaccination records without consent for these investigations.

Coroners and medical examiners across Georgia, the Department of Public Health which runs the vaccination registry, and families of infants or children who die suddenly or unexpectedly, since their child's medical and immunization history would become part of the official death investigation.

Families and investigators would get a more thorough look at what happened before a child's unexpected death, including whether recent vaccines or treatments played any role, because the law would require specific tests and records checks that are not currently mandatory in every case.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 45-16-32 to add a new requirement for cases involving the unexpected or unexplained death of an infant or child.
• The new language requires microscopic and toxicology studies, a review of immunization and medical records, and documentation of any immunizations or emergency countermeasures given within 90 days of death.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 31-12-3.1(e) to add coroners and medical examiners as a category that can receive vaccination registry information without the person's or family's consent, specifically for investigations under Section 45-16-32.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-24Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-20Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)Primary sponsor
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)

• child death investigations
• coroners and medical examiners
• vaccination records
• public health privacy
• infant mortality