135.43 - IOWA CHILD DEATH REVIEW TEAM ESTABLISHED -- DUTIES.

        135.43  IOWA CHILD DEATH REVIEW TEAM ESTABLISHED --
      DUTIES.
         1.  An Iowa child death review team is established as part of the
      office of the state medical examiner.  The office of the state
      medical examiner shall provide staffing and administrative support to
      the team.
         2.  The membership of the review team is subject to the provisions
      of sections 69.16 and 69.16A, relating to political affiliation and
      gender balance.  Review team members who are not designated by
      another appointing authority shall be appointed by the state medical
      examiner.  Membership terms shall be for three years.  A membership
      vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original
      appointment.  The review team shall elect a chairperson and other
      officers as deemed necessary by the review team.  The review team
      shall meet upon the call of the state medical examiner or as
      determined by the review team.  The members of the team are eligible
      for reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses incurred in the
      performance of their official duties.  The review team shall include
      the following:
         a.  The state medical examiner or the state medical examiner's
      designee.
         b.  A certified or licensed professional who is knowledgeable
      concerning sudden infant death syndrome.
         c.  A pediatrician who is knowledgeable concerning deaths of
      children.
         d.  A family practice physician who is knowledgeable
      concerning deaths of children.
         e.  One mental health professional who is knowledgeable
      concerning deaths of children.
         f.  One social worker who is knowledgeable concerning deaths
      of children.
         g.  A certified or licensed professional who is knowledgeable
      concerning domestic violence.
         h.  A professional who is knowledgeable concerning substance
      abuse.
         i.  A local law enforcement official.
         j.  A county attorney.
         k.  An emergency room nurse who is knowledgeable concerning
      the deaths of children.
         l.  A perinatal expert.
         m.  A representative of the health insurance industry.
         n.  One other appointed at large.
         3.  The review team shall perform the following duties:
         a.  Collect, review, and analyze child death certificates and
      child death data, including patient records or other pertinent
      confidential information concerning the deaths of children under age
      eighteen, and other information as the review team deems appropriate
      for use in preparing an annual report to the governor and the general
      assembly concerning the causes and manner of child deaths.  The
      report shall include analysis of factual information obtained through
      review and recommendations regarding prevention of child deaths.
         b.  Recommend to the governor and the general assembly
      interventions to prevent deaths of children based on an analysis of
      the cause and manner of such deaths.
         c.  Recommend to the agencies represented on the review team
      changes which may prevent child deaths.
         d.  Except as authorized by this section, maintain the
      confidentiality of any patient records or other confidential
      information reviewed.
         e.  Recommend to the department of human services, appropriate
      law enforcement agencies, and any other person involved with child
      protection, interventions that may prevent harm to a child who is
      related to or is living in the same home as a child whose case is
      reviewed by the team.
         f.  If the sharing of information is necessary to assist in or
      initiate a child death investigation or criminal prosecution and the
      office or agency receiving the information does not otherwise have
      access to the information, share information possessed by the review
      team with the office of the attorney general, a county attorney's
      office, or an appropriate law enforcement agency.  The office or
      agency receiving the information shall maintain the confidentiality
      of the information in accordance with this section.  Unauthorized
      release or disclosure of the information received is subject to
      penalty as provided in this section.
         g.  In order to assist a division of the department in
      performing the division's duties, if the division does not otherwise
      have access to the information, share information possessed by the
      review team.  The division receiving the information shall maintain
      the confidentiality of the information in accordance with this
      section.  Unauthorized release or disclosure of the information
      received is subject to penalty as provided in this section.
         4.  The review team shall develop protocols for a child fatality
      review committee, to be appointed by the state medical examiner on an
      ad hoc basis, to immediately review the child abuse assessments which
      involve the fatality of a child under age eighteen.  The state
      medical examiner shall appoint a medical examiner, a pediatrician,
      and a person involved with law enforcement to the committee.
         a.  The purpose of the review shall be to determine whether
      the department of human services and others involved with the case of
      child abuse responded appropriately.  The protocols shall provide for
      the committee to consult with any multidisciplinary team, as defined
      in section 235A.13, that is operating in the area in which the
      fatality occurred.
         b.  The committee shall have access to patient records and
      other pertinent confidential information and, subject to the
      restrictions in this subsection, may redisseminate the confidential
      information in the committee's report.
         c.  Upon completion of the review, the committee shall issue a
      report which shall include findings concerning the case and
      recommendations for changes to prevent child fatalities when similar
      circumstances exist.  The report shall include but is not limited to
      the following information, subject to the restrictions listed in
      paragraph "d":
         (1)  The dates, outcomes, and results of any actions taken by the
      department of human services and others in regard to each report and
      allegation of child abuse involving the child who died.
         (2)  The results of any review of the case performed by a
      multidisciplinary team, or by any other public entity that reviewed
      the case.
         (3)  Confirmation of the department of human services receipt of
      any report of child abuse involving the child, including confirmation
      as to whether or not any assessment involving the child was performed
      in accordance with section 232.71B, the results of any assessment, a
      description of the most recent assessment and the services offered to
      the family, the services rendered to the family, and the basis for
      the department's decisions concerning the case.
         d.  Prior to issuing the report, the committee shall consult
      with the county attorney responsible for prosecution of the alleged
      perpetrator of the child fatality.  The committee's report shall
      include child abuse information associated with the case and the
      child, but is subject to the restrictions applicable to the
      department of human services for release of information concerning a
      child fatality or near fatality in accordance with section 235A.15,
      subsection 9.
         e.  Following the completion of the trial of any alleged
      perpetrator of the child fatality and the appeal period for the
      granting of a new trial, the committee shall issue a supplemental
      report containing the information that was withheld, in accordance
      with paragraph "d", so as not to jeopardize the prosecution or
      the rights of the alleged perpetrator to a fair trial as described in
      section 235A.15, subsection 9, paragraphs "e" and "f".
         f.  The report and any supplemental report shall be submitted
      to the governor and general assembly.
         g.  If deemed appropriate by the committee, at any point in
      the review the committee may recommend to the department of human
      services, appropriate law enforcement agencies, and any other person
      involved with child protection, interventions that may prevent harm
      to a child who is related to or is living in the same home as a child
      whose case is reviewed by the committee.
         5. a.  The following individuals shall designate a liaison to
      assist the review team in fulfilling its responsibilities:
         (1)  The director of public health.
         (2)  The director of human services.
         (3)  The commissioner of public safety.
         (4)  The attorney general.
         (5)  The director of transportation.
         (6)  The director of the department of education.
         b.  In addition, the chairperson of the review team shall
      designate a liaison from the public at large to assist the review
      team in fulfilling its responsibilities.
         6.  The review team may establish subcommittees to which the team
      may delegate some or all of the team's responsibilities under
      subsection 3.
         7. a.  The state medical examiner, the Iowa department of
      public health, and the department of human services shall adopt rules
      providing for disclosure of information which is confidential under
      chapter 22 or any other provision of state law, to the review team
      for purposes of performing its child death and child abuse review
      responsibilities.
         b.  A person in possession or control of medical,
      investigative, assessment, or other information pertaining to a child
      death and child abuse review shall allow the inspection and
      reproduction of the information by the office of the state medical
      examiner upon the request of the office, to be used only in the
      administration and for the duties of the Iowa child death review
      team.  Except as provided for a report on a child fatality by an ad
      hoc child fatality review committee under subsection 4, information
      and records produced under this section which are confidential under
      section 22.7 and chapter 235A, and information or records received
      from the confidential records, remain confidential under this
      section.  A person does not incur legal liability by reason of
      releasing information to the department{ as required under and in
      compliance with this section.
         8.  Review team members and their agents are immune from any
      liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or
      imposed as a result of any act, omission, proceeding, decision, or
      determination undertaken or performed, or recommendation made as a
      review team member or agent provided that the review team members or
      agents acted in good faith and without malice in carrying out their
      official duties in their official capacity.  The state medical
      examiner shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this
      subsection.  A complainant bears the burden of proof in establishing
      malice or lack of good faith in an action brought against review team
      members involving the performance of their duties and powers under
      this section.
         9.  A person who releases or discloses confidential data, records,
      or any other type of information in violation of this section is
      guilty of a serious misdemeanor.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         95 Acts, ch 147, §2; 97 Acts, ch 159, § 3, 4; 2000 Acts, ch 1051,
      §1; 2000 Acts, ch 1137, §1--3, 14; 2002 Acts, ch 1119, §129, 130;
      2005 Acts, ch 6, §1--3; 2005 Acts, ch 179, §118; 2007 Acts, ch 159,
      §19, 20; 2009 Acts, ch 182, §108--111
         Referred to in § 691.6
         Legislative findings and purpose; 95 Acts, ch 147, § 1 
         Footnotes
         {The words "or the office of the state medical examiner" probably
      also intended; corrective legislation is pending
         Continuing effectiveness of rules adopted by department of public
      health until replacement rules are adopted by state medical examiner;
      2009 Acts, ch 182, §113