Text: HF00408 Text: HF00410 Text: HF00400 - HF00499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. IOWA CHILD DEATH REVIEW TEAM &endash; FINDINGS AND
1 2 PURPOSE.
1 3 1. The general assembly finds the following:
1 4 a. Protection of the health and welfare of the children of
1 5 this state is a goal of its people and the death of children
1 6 is an important public health concern that requires
1 7 legislative action.
1 8 b. Collecting accurate data on the cause and manner of
1 9 deaths will better enable the state to identify preventable
1 10 deaths, and thus help reduce the incidence of such deaths.
1 11 c. Multidisciplinary review of child deaths is a mechanism
1 12 to assist the state in developing a greater understanding of
1 13 the incidence and causes of child deaths and the methods for
1 14 prevention of such deaths.
1 15 2. The purpose of the child death review team is to aid in
1 16 the reduction of the incidence of serious injury and death to
1 17 children by accurately identifying the cause and manner of
1 18 death of children.
1 19 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 144D.1 IOWA CHILD DEATH REVIEW TEAM
1 20 ESTABLISHED &endash; DUTIES.
1 21 1. An Iowa child death review team is established as an
1 22 independent agency of state government. The Iowa department
1 23 of public health and the department of human services shall
1 24 provide staffing and administrative support to the team.
1 25 2. The membership of the review team is subject to the
1 26 provisions of sections 69.16 and 69.16A, relating to political
1 27 affiliation and gender balance. Review team members who are
1 28 not designated by another appointing authority shall be
1 29 appointed by the director of public health and the director of
1 30 human services. Membership terms shall be for three years. A
1 31 membership vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the
1 32 original appointment. The review team shall elect a
1 33 chairperson and other officers as deemed necessary by the
1 34 review team. The review team shall meet upon the call of the
1 35 chairperson, upon the request of a state agency, or as
2 1 determined by the review team. The members of the team are
2 2 eligible for reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses
2 3 incurred in the performance of their official duties.
2 4 The review team shall include the following:
2 5 a. The state medical examiner or the state medical
2 6 examiner's designee.
2 7 b. A designee of the director of public health.
2 8 c. A designee of the director of human services.
2 9 d. A designee of the commissioner of public safety.
2 10 e. A designee of the administrator of the division of
2 11 vital records of the Iowa department of public health.
2 12 f. A designee of the attorney general.
2 13 g. A designee of the director of transportation.
2 14 h. A designee of the director of the department of
2 15 education.
2 16 i. A certified or licensed professional who is
2 17 knowledgeable concerning sudden infant death syndrome.
2 18 j. Two pediatricians who are knowledgeable concerning
2 19 deaths of children.
2 20 k. Two mental health professionals who are knowledgeable
2 21 concerning deaths of children.
2 22 l. Two social workers who are knowledgeable concerning
2 23 deaths of children.
2 24 m. A certified or licensed professional who is
2 25 knowledgeable concerning domestic violence.
2 26 n. A professional who is knowledgeable concerning
2 27 substance abuse.
2 28 o. A local law enforcement official.
2 29 p. A county attorney.
2 30 q. A nurse who is knowledgeable concerning the deaths of
2 31 children.
2 32 r. A perinatal expert.
2 33 s. A representative of the health insurance industry.
2 34 t. Three others appointed at large.
2 35 3. The review team shall perform the following duties:
3 1 a. Collect, review, and analyze child death certificates
3 2 and child death data, including patient records or other
3 3 pertinent confidential information concerning the deaths of
3 4 children age six or younger, and other information as the
3 5 review team deems appropriate for use in preparing an annual
3 6 report to the governor and the general assembly concerning the
3 7 causes and manner of child deaths. The report shall include
3 8 analysis of factual information obtained through review and
3 9 recommendations regarding prevention of child deaths.
3 10 b. Recommend to the governor and the general assembly
3 11 interventions to prevent deaths of children based on an
3 12 analysis of the cause and manner of such deaths.
3 13 c. Recommend to the agencies represented on the review
3 14 team changes which may prevent child deaths.
3 15 d. Maintain the confidentiality of any patient records or
3 16 other confidential information reviewed.
3 17 e. Review the conduct of any child abuse investigation
3 18 upon the request of the department of human services,
3 19 including but not limited to the case files, methodology, and
3 20 conclusions.
3 21 4. The review team may establish subcommittees to which
3 22 the team may delegate some or all of the team's
3 23 responsibilities under subsection 3.
3 24 5. The Iowa department of public health and the department
3 25 of human services shall adopt rules providing for disclosure
3 26 of information which is confidential under chapter 22 or any
3 27 other provision of state law, to the review team for purposes
3 28 of performing its child death and child abuse review
3 29 responsibilities.
3 30 Sec. 3. MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHILD ABUSE INTERVENTION AND
3 31 PROSECUTION TEAMS. The attorney general is requested to form
3 32 a multidisciplinary committee to develop a proposal for the
3 33 establishment of regional multidisciplinary teams to focus
3 34 upon child abuse prosecution and intervention needs. The
3 35 attorney general is requested to submit a report of the
4 1 committee findings to the governor and the general assembly
4 2 prior to the 1996 legislative session. The committee should
4 3 consider other state statutory schemes for multidisciplinary
4 4 teams, provide options for regional groupings, review options
4 5 for special focus teams to concentrate on particular types of
4 6 abuse such as sexual abuse, and recommend possible funding
4 7 mechanisms.
4 8 EXPLANATION
4 9 This bill relates to provisions for review of child deaths
4 10 and child abuse.
4 11 New section 144D.1 constitutes a new chapter creating an
4 12 Iowa child death review team as an independent agency of state
4 13 government. Legislative findings and purposes are outlined in
4 14 a session law provision. Administrative and staffing support
4 15 for the team is to be provided by the Iowa department of
4 16 public health and the department of human services. The
4 17 review team is to review information concerning the death of
4 18 children age six and younger and to review child abuse
4 19 investigations at the request of the department of human
4 20 services. The review team is to include representatives of
4 21 various state agencies with most appointments made by the
4 22 directors of public health and human services. The review
4 23 team is authorized to appoint subcommittees to which its
4 24 responsibilities may be delegated.
4 25 The attorney general is requested to establish a
4 26 multidisciplinary committee to review and make recommendations
4 27 concerning establishment of regional multidisciplinary teams
4 28 to focus upon child abuse prosecution and intervention needs.
4 29 If a committee is established, a report is to be submitted by
4 30 the attorney general to the governor and the general assembly
4 31 prior to the 1996 legislative session.
4 32 LSB 2526HH 76
4 33 jp/jj/8
Text: HF00408 Text: HF00410 Text: HF00400 - HF00499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
Iowa General Assembly
Search: House Bills and Amendments (76th General Assembly)
© 1996 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
Comments? webmaster@legis.state.ia.us.
Last update: Mon Mar 4 09:34:06 CST 1996
URL: http://www2.legis.state.ia.us/GA/76GA/Legislation/HF/00400/HF00409/950314.html
jhf