A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning epilepsy-related mortality awareness.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill requires the department of public health and environment (department) to do the following in relation to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and other epilepsy-related mortalities:
- Gather and provide to families and health-care practitioners information on sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and other epilepsy-related mortalities;
- Ensure that all death investigation professionals are aware of the latest epilepsy-related death investigation recommendations from a nationally recognized and reputable organization of medical examiners and a nationally recognized and reputable organization of medicolegal death investigators;
- Conduct a statewide public health campaign to expand public awareness of and educate the public about epilepsy and its associated mortality risks; and
- Report all epilepsy-related deaths to a sudden unexpected death in epilepsy registry.
The bill also requires that investigations regarding the cause and manner of a death suspected to be or determined to be caused by epilepsy or a seizure must include a determination of whether the death was a direct result of a seizure or epilepsy. If there is a determination that the cause and manner of an individual's death was consistent with the definition of known or suspected sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, a death investigation professional shall ensure that the individual's death certificate identifies epilepsy as the contributing cause or suspected cause of death.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add article 60 to title
Page 2, Line 325 as follows:
Page 2, Line 4ARTICLE 60
Page 2, Line 5Epilepsy-related Mortalities and Awareness
Page 2, Line 625-60-101. Short title.
Page 2, Line 7The short title of this article 60 is "Lincoln's Law".
Page 2, Line 825-60-102. Legislative declaration.
Page 2, Line 9(1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
Page 2, Line 10(a) Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes recurring and
Page 2, Line 11unprovoked seizures and affects people of all ages, impacting
Page 2, Line 12approximately three million adults and four hundred and
Page 2, Line 13fifty-six thousand children in the United States;
Page 2, Line 14(b) Thirty percent of people with epilepsy live with
Page 2, Line 15uncontrolled seizures;
Page 3, Line 1(c) People with epilepsy have a three times higher risk of
Page 3, Line 2early death than the general population, and that risk is
Page 3, Line 3increased for those with uncontrolled seizures;
Page 3, Line 4(d) Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy claims the lives of
Page 3, Line 5one of every one thousand people living with epilepsy and one of
Page 3, Line 6every one hundred fifty people living with epilepsy and
Page 3, Line 7uncontrolled seizures;
Page 3, Line 8(e) Annually in the United States, more than six thousand
Page 3, Line 9people with epilepsy die from causes like sudden unexpected
Page 3, Line 10death in epilepsy, status epilepticus, unintentional injuries, and
Page 3, Line 11suicide. This statistic underestimates the number of deaths
Page 3, Line 12caused by epilepsy or sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, due to
Page 3, Line 13poor recognition, incomplete death records, and misattributed
Page 3, Line 14causes of mortality.
Page 3, Line 15(f) Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is the most
Page 3, Line 16common cause of premature epilepsy-related mortality;
Page 3, Line 17(g) Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is the term used
Page 3, Line 18when someone with epilepsy dies without warning, and no other
Page 3, Line 19cause of death can be found;
Page 3, Line 20(h) Risk counseling focused on all causes of epilepsy
Page 3, Line 21mortality, including sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, can
Page 3, Line 22help mitigate risk and prevent unnecessary deaths.
Page 3, Line 23Unfortunately, these services are often unavailable due to a
Page 3, Line 24lack of awareness and education and the absence of consistent
Page 3, Line 25reimbursement for post-diagnosis education and case
Page 3, Line 26management services.
Page 3, Line 27(i) It is the intent of the general assembly to help mitigate
Page 4, Line 1risk and prevent unnecessary deaths by increasing awareness
Page 4, Line 2and education concerning sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Page 4, Line 325-60-103. Definitions.
Page 4, Line 4As used in this article 60, unless the context otherwise
Page 4, Line 5requires:
Page 4, Line 6(1) "Death investigation professional" means a coroner,
Page 4, Line 7medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or other qualified
Page 4, Line 8individual who determines the cause of death and completes the
Page 4, Line 9medical certification for a certificate of death in accordance
Page 4, Line 10with section 25-2-110.
Page 4, Line 11(2) "Department" means the department of public health
Page 4, Line 12and environment created in section 25-1-102 (1).
Page 4, Line 1325-60-104. Epilepsy-related mortality awareness and training.
Page 4, Line 14(1) (a) On or before July 1, 2027, the department shall, in
Page 4, Line 15collaboration with relevant health groups, gather
Page 4, Line 16evidence-based information on sudden unexpected death in
Page 4, Line 17epilepsy and other epilepsy-related mortalities from
Page 4, Line 18publications that address and nonprofit organizations that are
Page 4, Line 19experts on epilepsy and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy to
Page 4, Line 20create standard information to provide to families and
Page 4, Line 21health-care practitioners.
Page 4, Line 22(b) The information provided by the department pursuant
Page 4, Line 23to subsection (1)(a) of this section shall, at a minimum, include:
Page 4, Line 24(I) Current and evidence-based information about sudden
Page 4, Line 25unexpected death in epilepsy and other epilepsy-related
Page 4, Line 26mortality risk factors; and
Page 4, Line 27(II) Contact information for nonprofit organizations that
Page 5, Line 1provide support services for epilepsy conditions.
Page 5, Line 2(c) The department shall ensure that the information it
Page 5, Line 3provides pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section is available
Page 5, Line 4on state health-related websites and is readily accessible to
Page 5, Line 5families and health-care practitioners.
Page 5, Line 6(2) (a) On or before July 1, 2027, the department shall
Page 5, Line 7ensure that all death investigation professionals are aware of
Page 5, Line 8the latest epilepsy-related death investigation
Page 5, Line 9recommendations from a nationally recognized and reputable
Page 5, Line 10organization of medical examiners and a nationally recognized
Page 5, Line 11and reputable organization of medicolegal death investigators.
Page 5, Line 12(b) The department may satisfy the requirement of
Page 5, Line 13subsection (2)(a) of this section by establishing a training
Page 5, Line 14program, in consultation with a nationally recognized and
Page 5, Line 15reputable organization of medical examiners and a nonprofit
Page 5, Line 16national organization that supports the welfare of individuals
Page 5, Line 17with epilepsy and seizure disorders, to educate death
Page 5, Line 18investigation professionals about sudden unexpected death in
Page 5, Line 19epilepsy and other epilepsy-related mortalities and standard
Page 5, Line 20protocols governing medicolegal death investigations
Page 5, Line 21involving seizure disorders that best identify sudden
Page 5, Line 22unexpected death in epilepsy and other epilepsy-related
Page 5, Line 23mortalities as a known or suspected cause of death.
Page 5, Line 2425-60-105. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy -
Page 5, Line 25identification - reporting.
Page 5, Line 26(1) (a) For each death under investigation that is
Page 5, Line 27suspected to be or determined to be caused by epilepsy or a
Page 6, Line 1seizure, inquiries regarding the cause and manner of death must
Page 6, Line 2include a determination of whether the death was a direct
Page 6, Line 3result of a seizure or epilepsy.
Page 6, Line 4(b) If a death investigation professional determines that
Page 6, Line 5the cause and manner of an individual's death is consistent with
Page 6, Line 6known or suspected sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, a death
Page 6, Line 7investigation professional shall ensure that the individual's
Page 6, Line 8death certificate identifies epilepsy as the contributing cause or
Page 6, Line 9suspected cause of death.
Page 6, Line 10(c) The department shall report all epilepsy-related
Page 6, Line 11deaths to a sudden unexpected death in epilepsy registry.
Page 6, Line 1225-60-106. Epilepsy and epilepsy-related mortality risks
Page 6, Line 13public health campaign.
Page 6, Line 14On or before July 1, 2027, the department shall conduct a
Page 6, Line 15statewide public health campaign to expand public awareness of
Page 6, Line 16and educate the public about epilepsy and its associated
Page 6, Line 17mortality risks. The department shall include information on
Page 6, Line 18mitigating risks of suspected sudden unexpected death in
Page 6, Line 19epilepsy and other epilepsy-related mortalities as part of this
Page 6, Line 20campaign.
Page 6, Line 21SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 6, Line 22takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 6, Line 23ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
Page 6, Line 2412, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a
Page 6, Line 25referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the
Page 6, Line 26state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
Page 6, Line 27within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
Page 7, Line 1unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 7, Line 2November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
Page 7, Line 3official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.