135.110 - IOWA DOMESTIC ABUSE DEATH REVIEW TEAM POWERS AND DUTIES.

        135.110  IOWA DOMESTIC ABUSE DEATH REVIEW TEAM POWERS
      AND DUTIES.
         1.  The review team shall perform the following duties:
         a.  Prepare a biennial report for the governor, supreme court,
      attorney general, and the general assembly concerning the following
      subjects:
         (1)  The causes and manner of domestic abuse deaths, including an
      analysis of factual information obtained through review of domestic
      abuse death certificates and domestic abuse death data, including
      patient records and other pertinent confidential and public
      information concerning domestic abuse deaths.
         (2)  The contributing factors of domestic abuse deaths.
         (3)  Recommendations regarding the prevention of future domestic
      abuse deaths, including actions to be taken by communities, based on
      an analysis of these contributing factors.
         b.  Advise and consult the agencies represented on the team
      and other state agencies regarding program and regulatory changes
      that may prevent domestic abuse deaths.
         c.  Develop protocols for domestic abuse death investigations
      and team review.
         2.  In performing duties pursuant to subsection 1, the review team
      shall review the relationship between the decedent victim and the
      alleged or convicted perpetrator from the point where the abuse
      allegedly began, until the domestic abuse death occurred, and shall
      review all relevant documents pertaining to the relationship between
      the parties, including but not limited to protective orders and
      dissolution, custody, and support agreements and related court
      records, in order to ascertain whether a correlation exists between
      certain events in the relationship and any escalation of abuse, and
      whether patterns can be established regarding such events in relation
      to domestic abuse deaths in general.  The review team shall consider
      such conclusions in making recommendations pursuant to subsection 1.

         3.  The team shall meet upon the call of the chairperson, upon the
      request of a state agency, or as determined by a majority of the
      team.
         4.  The team shall annually elect a chairperson and other officers
      as deemed necessary by the team.
         5.  The team may establish committees or panels to whom the team
      may assign some or all of the team's responsibilities.
         6.  Members of the team who are currently practicing attorneys or
      current employees of the judicial branch of state government shall
      not participate in the following:
         a.  An investigation by the team that involves a case in which
      the team member is presently involved in the member's professional
      capacity.
         b.  Development of protocols by the team for domestic abuse
      death investigations and team review.
         c.  Development of regulatory changes related to domestic
      abuse deaths.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2000 Acts, ch 1136, §3; 2000 Acts, ch 1232, §48; 2002 Acts, ch
      1119, §131; 2006 Acts, ch 1184, §82
         Referred to in § 135.112