Mich. Comp. Laws § 52.205a
This is the official text of Mich. Comp. Laws § 52.205a, part of Michigan’s Comp. Laws — part of the compiled statutory law of Michigan, published by the state as "Comp. Laws." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Sudden death, cause unknown, of child under age of 2 years; report; request for autopsy; notice of results; costs; rules.
Official statutory text
Sec. 5a.
When a child under the age of 2 years dies within this state under circumstances of sudden death, cause unknown, or found dead, cause unknown, that death shall be immediately reported to the county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner of the county where the body is located. The county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner shall inform the parents or legal guardians of the child that they may request an autopsy to be performed on the child. The state shall cover the costs of an autopsy requested under this section. The county medical examiner or the deputy county medical examiner shall arrange the autopsy requested under this section and shall promptly notify the parents or legal guardians of the results of that autopsy. The county medical examiner or the deputy county medical examiner shall report the costs of the autopsy performed under this section to the director of the department of community health. If the director determines the claim to be reasonable and proper, he or she shall reimburse the person for the costs incurred under this section out of funds appropriated for this purpose by the legislature. Nothing in this section shall be construed to interfere with the duties and responsibilities of the county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner as provided in this act.
The department of community health shall promulgate rules and regulations under this act to promote consistency and accuracy among county medical examiners and deputy county medical examiners in determining the cause of death under this section. The department may adopt, by reference in its rules, all or any part of the "State of Michigan Protocols to Determine Cause and Manner of Sudden and Unexplained Child Deaths" published by the Michigan child death review program.
History: Add. 1974, Act 350, Imd. Eff. Dec. 21, 1974; Am. 2004, Act 179, Imd. Eff. July 1, 2004
When a child under the age of 2 years dies within this state under circumstances of sudden death, cause unknown, or found dead, cause unknown, that death shall be immediately reported to the county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner of the county where the body is located. The county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner shall inform the parents or legal guardians of the child that they may request an autopsy to be performed on the child. The state shall cover the costs of an autopsy requested under this section. The county medical examiner or the deputy county medical examiner shall arrange the autopsy requested under this section and shall promptly notify the parents or legal guardians of the results of that autopsy. The county medical examiner or the deputy county medical examiner shall report the costs of the autopsy performed under this section to the director of the department of community health. If the director determines the claim to be reasonable and proper, he or she shall reimburse the person for the costs incurred under this section out of funds appropriated for this purpose by the legislature. Nothing in this section shall be construed to interfere with the duties and responsibilities of the county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner as provided in this act.
The department of community health shall promulgate rules and regulations under this act to promote consistency and accuracy among county medical examiners and deputy county medical examiners in determining the cause of death under this section. The department may adopt, by reference in its rules, all or any part of the "State of Michigan Protocols to Determine Cause and Manner of Sudden and Unexplained Child Deaths" published by the Michigan child death review program.
History: Add. 1974, Act 350, Imd. Eff. Dec. 21, 1974; Am. 2004, Act 179, Imd. Eff. July 1, 2004
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Michigan?
Find a Michigan lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.