AB 554

This bill generally provides for the establishment of a child death review

program within the Department of Health Services (DHS), a Child Death Review

Council (council), and local review teams to conduct child death reviews. Specifically,

the bill does all of the following:

Child death review program operated by DHS

The bill requires DHS to develop and maintain a statewide program to review

the deaths of children in this state for the purpose of reducing preventable childhood

deaths. DHS must do all of the following as part of the program: 1) provide support

to the council; 2) collect data pertaining to childhood deaths, including by entering

into data-sharing agreements with other state agencies; 3) cooperate with other

state agencies to develop and implement programs and policies to prevent child

deaths in this state; and 4) after considering any recommendations of the council,

provide certain information to the public about childhood deaths. The bill also

requires DHS, after considering any recommendations received from the council, to

assist local child death review teams in various ways, including by adopting

standards and protocols for use by the recognized local review teams. The bill allows

DHS to enter into a contract to perform its duties under the statewide program.

Child Death Review Council

The bill establishes the council within DHS, which must consist of: 1)

appointees from various state agencies; 2) one or more representatives of federally

recognized American Indian tribes; and 3) at least 17 other members who have

demonstrated a continuing interest in the problem of unexplained or preventable

childhood deaths. The bill requires the council to: 1) collect and review data

pertaining to child deaths that occur in this state; 2) identify trends in childhood

deaths in this state; 3) make certain reports and recommendations to the governor,

the legislature, DHS, and applicable state agencies related to interventions to

prevent childhood deaths, matters related to unexpected or unexplained deaths

among children, and data collected by the council and the council's policy

recommendations following from that data; 4) make recommendations to DHS

regarding assisting local review teams and establishing criteria and a process for

recognizing local child death review teams; and 5) make information available to the

public about the council and the council's role in public policy related to preventing

childhood deaths.

The bill requires the council to review an individual child's death upon a request

from a local child death review team recognized by DHS and also allows the council

to review an individual child's death when no review is conducted by a recognized

local review team.

Local child death review teams

The bill requires DHS to recognize local child death review teams for particular

geographical areas in this state and requires local review teams so recognized to