Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP); investigation of deaths. (HB392)
Introduced By
Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-McLean) with support from 7 copatrons, whose average partisan position is:
Those copatrons are Del. Kelly Fowler (D-Virginia Beach), Del. Cliff Hayes (D-Chesapeake), Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church), Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke), Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas Park), Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
☐ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to take certain actions upon the finding that an individual died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). The bill directs the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to publish information on SUDEP and a SUDEP death investigation form on its website. Additionally, the bill requires the Chief Medical Examiner and local medical examiners to complete training provided by The Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023. Read the Bill »
Status
01/26/2022: Awaiting a Vote in the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 01/11/2022 | Committee |
| 01/11/2022 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22104029D |
| 01/11/2022 | Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions |
| 01/25/2022 | Impact statement from DPB (HB392) |
| 01/26/2022 | Assigned HWI sub: Subcommittee #3 |
| 02/08/2022 | Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2023 |
| 02/10/2022 | Continued to 2023 in Health, Welfare and Institutions |
Comments
The Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia (EFVA) is a strong supporter of House bill 392 (HB392). The bill. This bill asks that medical examiners participate in a training developed by the EFVA which provides guidelines for the proper identification of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The bill is referred to the Committee on Health, Welfare, and Institutions. It is very important that this bill is passed.
Says Jeffrey Guzman advocacy and outreach director for the EFVA:
“Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain causing reoccurring seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. 84,800 Virginians live with epilepsy.. About two thirds of those with epilepsy take seizure medication that helps them lead perfectly normal, seizure-free lives. However, the remaining third have drug-resistant epilepsy. This means that medication is unable to control their seizures. Uncontrolled seizures can cause death as happened to Jonathan Alan Gibbs Bush, a 21 year-old from Woodbridge. One in 150 people living with uncontrolled seizures each year die of SUDEP. While SUDEP is most common in those with uncontrolled seizures like Jonathan, it can happen to anyone with epilepsy. Each year 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy, even those who have been living seizure free, die of SUDEP, as was the case with Todd Mathis Parker, a 31-year-old from Richmond:”
“As an Executive Director of the EFVA, I have tried to help many parents who lost their child to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Their grief is immeasurable. Many times these parents have gone the extra mile to help their child finish high school and go to college. Sometimes, when the child comes home from college, the parents find their child at home, not sleeping as many students do, but dead. “says Suzanne Bischoff. “This bill will help the science we need to improve this situation.”