--- title: SR 813. Department of Public Health; to conduct a study on the relationship between sudden unexpected deaths of infants and children and the administration of vaccinations; urge collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr813 cite_as: SR 813, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr813 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr813.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr813/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73387 date: 2026-02-19 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr812.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr814.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr813.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 813 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-18 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Ricky Williams - Carden Summers - Bo Hatchett - John Albers - Lee Anderson - Brian Strickland text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR813/2025 upstream_id: 2119536 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - infant mortality - vaccine safety study - public health - immunization records --- # SR 813. Department of Public Health; to conduct a study on the relationship between sudden unexpected deaths of infants and children and the administration of vaccinations; urge ## Text Senate Resolution 813 By: Senators Williams of the 25th, Summers of the 13th, Hatchett of the 50th, Albers of the 56th, Anderson of the 24th and others A RESOLUTION Urging the Department of Public Health to conduct a study on the relationship between sudden unexpected deaths of infants and children, ages two and under, and the administration of vaccinations; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the health and well-being of infants and children in Georgia is paramount to this state and its residents; and WHEREAS, the sudden unexpected death of an infant is a tragic event that can leave families and communities with many unanswered questions; and WHEREAS, the United States has the highest infant mortality rate amongst developed nations, and research shows that Georgia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation; and WHEREAS, a comprehensive understanding of the causes of unexpected infant deaths is essential for developing effective strategies to prevent such tragedies; and WHEREAS, while vaccinations have been integrated into medical practice in an effort to prevent diseases, there is still a need to continuously monitor and study the potential impact of such preventative treatment on the health of infants and children; and WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Food and Drug Administration are committed to ensuring that vaccinations provided to the public are safe and effective; and WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of this state and its legislature to protect the health and well-being of its youngest citizens and provide the necessary resources to address the issue of sudden unexpected deaths of infants and children, ages two and under. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the Department of Public Health to conduct a study to examine the relationship between unexpected deaths of infants and children, ages two and under, and the administration of vaccinations. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study shall include but not be limited to an analysis of the state's immunization records in the context of sudden unexpected deaths of infants and children, ages two and under, and be submitted in the form of a written report to the Senate by February 1, 2027. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the written report shall contain anonymous data evaluating immunization records in the GRITS Immunization Information System of infants and children, ages two and under, who died suddenly and without explanation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the data shall include immunization records from the 2013 calendar year to present. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the written report shall include the infant or child's age at the time of death, full immunization history, and the date of the infant or child's last immunization and its proximity to the infant or child's time of death. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Health shall collaborate with relevant state and federal agencies and medical and public health experts to ensure that its study is conducted with the highest level of scientific rigor and integrity. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body recognizes the fiscal cost required to conduct such a study as called for in this resolution, so the Department of Public Health may decline to conduct such study unless the General Assembly appropriates moneys sufficient to cover the cost of the study. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the secretary and state health officer of the Department of Public Health. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution urges the Department of Public Health to study whether there is a link between sudden unexpected deaths of infants and children under two and their vaccination records. ### Plain-language summary This resolution does not change any law. Instead, it urges (asks, without legal force) the Department of Public Health to conduct a study examining the relationship between sudden unexpected deaths of infants and children ages two and under and the vaccines they received. The resolution asks the department to analyze the state's immunization records, using anonymous data from the GRITS Immunization Information System (Georgia's statewide immunization database), covering deaths from 2013 to the present. The requested report would include each child's age at death, full immunization history, and how close their last vaccination was to their death. The department would be asked to collaborate with other state and federal agencies and medical experts, and to submit a written report to the Senate by February 1, 2027. The resolution also says the department may decline to do the study unless the General Assembly provides funding for it. ### What it does - Urges the Department of Public Health to study any relationship between sudden unexpected infant and child deaths (ages two and under) and vaccinations. - Asks the department to analyze anonymous immunization records in the GRITS Immunization Information System for children who died suddenly and unexpectedly. - Requests that the data cover immunization records from 2013 to the present. - Calls for the final report to list each child's age at death, full vaccination history, and the timing of their last vaccine relative to death. - Directs the department to work with other state and federal agencies and health experts and submit a written report to the Senate by February 1, 2027. - States the department may decline to do the study unless the General Assembly appropriates (sets aside state funding for) enough money to pay for it. ### Who it affects The Department of Public Health, which would be asked to conduct and fund the study; families of infants and young children who died suddenly and unexpectedly; and state and federal health agencies and medical experts the department would be asked to consult during the research. ### Why it matters If the Department of Public Health carries out the study, it could produce Georgia-specific data on infant deaths and immunization timing that currently does not exist in this form, potentially informing public health policy. Because the resolution only urges action and ties the study to future funding, no study is guaranteed to happen. ### Key provisions - The resolution urges, rather than requires, the Department of Public Health to conduct the study, so it carries no binding legal mandate. - The study's data source is specified as the GRITS Immunization Information System, Georgia's immunization records database. - The report must cover immunization records from calendar year 2013 to the present and must be submitted to the Senate by February 1, 2027. - The report must include each affected child's age at death, complete immunization history, and the proximity of their last immunization to their death. - The department is directed to collaborate with relevant state and federal agencies and medical and public health experts to ensure scientific rigor. - The department may decline to conduct the study unless the General Assembly appropriates sufficient funding to cover its cost. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-18) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-02-19) - Sponsors: Ricky Williams, Carden Summers, Bo Hatchett, John Albers, Lee Anderson, Brian Strickland - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73387 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr813.md?full=1