INFANT SAFE SLEEP ACT                                                                      H.B. 4962 (H-2):

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

House Bill 4962 (Substitute H-2 as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Representative Gail Hanes

House Committee:  Health Policy

Senate Committee:  Health Policy

CONTENT

The bill would create the "Infant Safe Sleep Act" (Part 58A of the Public Health Code) to do the following:

-- Require a hospital to provide infants' parents with understandable information and educational materials regarding the risks associated with infant death due to unsafe sleep practices and safe sleep practices.

-- Require a health professional to provide the information and materials if a birth occurred outside of a hospital.

-- Specify that a hospital or health professional who complied with the proposed Act would not be criminally or civilly liable for the action or inaction of a parent with regard to infant safe sleep practices pursuant to the provided materials.

-- Require a hospital to prescribe a parent acknowledgement form for safe sleep information and, if a parent signed the form, to place it in the infant's permanent medical record.

-- Require the Department of Community Health (DCH) and Department of Human Services to coordinate on providing community-based services and educational efforts and materials relating to infant death due to unsafe sleep practices and safe sleep practices.

-- Allow a health professional or hospital to use educational materials provided by the DCH or use consistent materials of the hospital's or professional's choice.

-- Require the DCH to provide educational materials upon request to a hospital or health professional at no cost.

MCL 333.5581                                                                  Legislative Analyst:  Jeff Mann

FISCAL IMPACT

The Department of Community Health has participated for a number of years in education, coordination, and publicity efforts on safe sleep practices. The bill would effectively direct the DCH and the Department of Human Services to continue these efforts, which could result in a modest administrative cost increase for the Departments. The bill also would require hospitals, and health professionals present at births outside of hospitals, to provide information and educational materials to parents. This would have a minor fiscal impact on the public hospitals and public clinics that would have to provide the information and materials.

Date Completed:  3-27-14                                                 Fiscal Analyst:  Steve Angelotti

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.