Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel Creation
Summary
Mississippi HB1637 creates the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel under the State Department of Health to review fetal deaths and infant deaths up to one year of age. The multidisciplinary panel will develop strategies to prevent infant mortality, receive data from medical examiners, coroners, healthcare providers, and law enforcement agencies, and submit annual reports with recommendations to the legislature. The panel has authority to initiate enforcement actions against agencies that fail to provide required information.
What changed
HB1637 establishes a new Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel within the Mississippi State Department of Health with authority to review all fetal deaths and infant deaths through one year of age. The panel is empowered to access medical records from physicians, hospitals, and pharmacies, and may initiate enforcement actions against agencies or officials that fail to provide complete and timely information. The bill mandates annual reporting to House and Senate Public Health Committees including mortality numbers, causes, demographic data, and resource allocation recommendations.
Healthcare providers, medical examiners, coroners, and other state agencies should prepare systems to respond to panel data requests and ensure compliance with reporting requirements. For cases of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or sudden death in the young (SDY), the State Department of Health must verify reporting to the SUID SDY Case Registry and VAERS. Physicians, hospitals, and pharmacies must provide reasonable access to relevant medical records. Quality assurance and review records maintained by the Department of Health are confidential and exempt from public disclosure.
What to do next
- Prepare protocols for responding to Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel data requests within established timelines
- Verify that all cases of sudden unexpected infant death, SIDS, or SDY are reported to the SUID SDY Case Registry
- Report any previously unreported adverse vaccine reactions to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
Penalties
The Review Panel may initiate enforcement actions against agencies or officials that do not provide information in a complete and timely manner.
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / Mississippi / HB1637 Signed by Governor HB1637 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-06
Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel; create under State Department of Health.
An Act To Create The Fetal And Infant Mortality Review Panel To Review Fetal Deaths And Deaths Of Infants Up To One Year Of Age And Establish Strategies To Prevent Infant Deaths; To Provide That The Review Panel Shall Be Multidisciplinary And Composed Of Such Members As Deemed Appropriate By The State Department Of Health; To Require The Review Panel To Submit A Report Annually To The House And Senate Public Health Committees That Include The Numbers, Causes And Relevant Demographic Information On Infant Mortality Deaths In Mississippi, And Appropriate Recommendations To The Legislature On How To Most Effectively Direct State Resources To Decrease Infant Mortality In The State; To Require That Data Shall Be Provided To The Review Panel By The State Medical Examiner's Office, State Department Of Health, Department Of Human Services, Medical Examiners, Coroners, Health Care Providers, Law Enforcement Agencies, And Any Other Agencies Or Officials Having Information That Is Necessary For The Review Panel To Carry Out Its Duties; To Provide That In The Case Of An Infant Or Child Who Dies Suddenly And Unexpectedly, Including Cases Of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (sids), Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (suid) Or Sudden Death In The Young (sdy), The Review Panel Shall Conduct A Comprehensive Review Of The Infant's Or Child's Medical, Prenatal, And, Where Applicable, Maternal Health Records For The Purpose Of Identifying Potential Contributing Factors And Preventable Causes Of Death; To Provide That Such Review Shall Be Conducted In Accordance With Nationally Recognized Best Practices And Should Include Consideration Of The Infant's Or Child's Immunization History And Any Medical Treatments Or Interventions As Part Of The Overall Medical Context, Without Limitation To A Specified Time Period, As Relevant To The Panel's Determination Of Contributing Factors; To Direct The State Department Of Health To Verify That Cases Of Sudden And Unexpected Death Of An Infant Or Child Were Reported To The Suid And Sdy Case Registry And That Any Adverse Vaccine Reactions Were Reported To The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (vaers), And To Report To The Suid And Sdy Case Registry Or To Vaers Any Such Cases Or Adverse Vaccine Reactions That Were Not Previously Reported; To Provide That The Review Panel's Report And Recommendations Shall Be Made Public By The State Department Of Health; To Require Physicians, Hospitals And Pharmacies To Provide Reasonable Access To The Review Panel To All Relevant Medical Records Associated With A Case Under Review By The Review Panel; To Provide That Certain Records Maintained By The State Department Of Health Shall Be Confidential And Not Subject To The Public Records Act Or Subpoena, Discovery Or Introduction Into Evidence; To Authorize The Review Panel To Initiate Enforcement Actions Against Agencies Or Officials That Do Not Provide Information To The Panel In A Complete And Timely Manner; To Amend Section 25-41-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform To The Preceding Provisions; To Exempt Certain Quality Assurance, Quality Improvement, Performance Improvement, And Review Records Of The State Department Of Health From The Public Records Act; To Provide That Such Records Shall Be Confidential And Not Subject To Disclosure, Subpoena, Or Discovery; To Exempt Certain Radiological Health And Radioactive Material Licensing Information From The Public Records Act When Disclosure Would Pose A Risk To Public Health Or Security; To Amend Section 25-41-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Authorize The State Department Of Health To Enter Executive Session Or Otherwise Conduct A Closed Meeting During Morbidity Or Mortality Review Committee Work Mandated By Statute Or Regulation, Such As The Child Death Review Panel, The Maternal Mortality Review Committee, And The Fetal And Infant Mortality Review Panel; To Create New Section 25-61-11.3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Exempt From The Mississippi Public Records Act Of 1983 Documents And Records Used By The State Department Of Health During Morbidity Or Mortality Review Committee Work Mandated By Statute Or Regulation, Such As The Child Death Review Panel, The Maternal Mortality Review Committee, And The Fetal And Infant Mortality Review Panel; And For Related Purposes.
Bill Details
State Mississippi
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history...
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Sponsors
Missy Warren McGee (Rep - R) Kabir Karriem (Rep - D) Zakiya Summers (Rep - D) Otis Anthony (Rep - D) Fabian Nelson (Rep - D)
Action History
2026-04-06 S Enrolled Bill Signed 2026-04-06 H Enrolled Bill Signed 2026-04-01 S Motion to Reconsider Tabled 2026-03-31 S Motion to Reconsider Entered 2026-03-31 S Conference Report Adopted 2026-03-31 H Conference Report Adopted 2026-03-29 S Conference Report Filed 2026-03-29 H Conference Report Filed 2026-03-25 S Conferees Named Bryan,Johnson,England 2026-03-23 H Conferees Named Creekmore IV,Mims,McGee 2026-03-17 H Decline to Concur/Invite Conf 2026-03-13 S Returned For Concurrence 2026-03-11 S Passed As Amended 2026-03-11 S Amended 2026-02-24 S Title Suff Do Pass As Amended 2026-02-13 S Referred To Public Health and Welfare 2026-02-05 H Transmitted To Senate 2026-02-04 H Passed 2026-02-03 H Title Suff Do Pass 2026-01-19 H Referred To Public Health and Human Services
Votes
2026-02-04 House Passed Yea: 121 Nay: 0 2026-03-11 Senate Passed As Amended Yea: 51 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 House Conference Report Adopted Yea: 121 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 Senate Conference Report Adopted Yea: 52 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-19 H Public Health and Human Services 2026-02-13 S Public Health and Welfare
Amendments
0000-00-00 Senate Committee Amendment No 1 0000-00-00 Senate Amendment No 1 to Committee Amendment No 1 0000-00-00 Senate Amendment No 2 to Committee Amendment No 1
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-22 Introduced 2026-02-05 Engrossed 2026-04-06 Enrolled Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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