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Morgan Rose’s Law headed for enaction after Pa. Senate approval

The legislation will help prevent sudden death in epilepsy patients

Rep. Lisa Borowski    September 30, 2026 | 1:31 PM

HARRISBURG, Sept. 30 – Bipartisan legislation that would require coroners to investigate and report cases of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, or SUDEP, was unanimously approved (49-0) today by the Pennsylvania Senate, state Rep. Lisa Borowski, D-Delaware, announced.

Once enacted, House Bill 1442, co-prime sponsored by Borowski and Rep. Ann Flood, R-Northampton, will amend Title 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to require that certain death investigations include an inquiry into whether SUDEP was a direct cause of death in cases involving a seizure or epilepsy. If the investigation yields evidence consistent with SUDEP, coroners will be required to list SUDEP as the cause of death on the individual’s death certificate. Upon completion of the investigation, coroners also will be required to provide the next of kin with contact information for third-party organizations that study, track, and analyze SUDEP deaths.

The legislation is also known as “Morgan Rose’s Law” in memory of Morgan Rose Hosbach, a 23-year-old Delaware County woman who died of SUDEP in 2022. Through the advocacy of Morgan’s parents, John and Colleen Hosbach, Borowski and Flood sponsored the bill to improve awareness, strengthen reporting, and help prevent future tragedies.

“SUDEP is a leading cause of death among people with uncontrolled seizures, which is why educating patients and their loved ones about seizure prevention is so important,” Borowski said. “By improving how these deaths are identified and reported, we can help families get clearer answers and give researchers better data to understand SUDEP risk factors.”

Pennsylvania joins Virginia, North Carolina, Connecticut, New Jersey and Illinois in enacting SUDEP-reporting legislation. The bill now awaits Gov. Josh Shapiro’s signature.