Section 3701.66. Safe sleep education program

(A) As used in this section, "sudden unexpected infant death" means the death of an infant that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, the cause of which is not immediately obvious prior to investigation.

(B) The department of health shall establish the safe sleep education program by doing all of the following:

(1) By not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section, developing educational materials that present readily comprehendible information on safe sleeping practices for infants and possible causes of sudden unexpected infant death;

(2) Making available on the department's internet web site in an easily accessible format the educational materials developed under division (B)(1) of this section;

(3) Beginning in 2015, annually assessing the effectiveness of the safe sleep education program by evaluating the reports submitted by child fatality review boards to the department pursuant to section 307.626 of the Revised Code.

(C) In meeting the requirements under division (B) of this section, the department shall develop educational materials that, to the extent possible, minimize administrative or financial burdens on any of the entities or persons required by division (D) of this section to distribute the materials.

(D) A copy of the safe sleep educational materials developed under this section shall be distributed by entities and persons with and in the same manner as the shaken baby syndrome educational materials are distributed pursuant to section 3701.64 of the Revised Code.

An entity or person required to distribute the educational materials is not liable for damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises from an act or omission associated with the dissemination of those educational materials unless the act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

An entity or person required to distribute the educational materials is not subject to criminal prosecution or, to the extent that a person is regulated under Title XLVII of the Revised Code, professional disciplinary action under that title, for an act or omission associated with the dissemination of those educational materials.

This division does not eliminate, limit, or reduce any other immunity or defense that an entity or person may be entitled to under Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code, or any other provision of the Revised Code, or the common law of this state.

(E) Each entity or person that is required to distribute the educational materials and has infants regularly sleeping at a facility or location under the entity's or person's control shall adopt an internal infant safe sleep policy. The policy shall specify when and to whom educational materials on infant safe sleep practices are to be delivered to individuals working or volunteering at the facility or location and be consistent with the model internal infant safe sleep policy adopted under division (F) of this section.

(F) The director of health shall adopt a model internal infant safe sleep policy for use by entities and persons that must comply with division (E) of this section. The policy shall specify safe infant sleep practices, include images depicting safe infant sleep practices, and specify sample content for an infant safe sleep education program that entities and persons may use when conducting new staff orientation programs.

Added by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 276, §1, eff. 3/19/2015.

Added by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 394, §1, eff. 3/19/2015.