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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session |
Senate: HHS DPA 6-0-1-0 | 3rd Read 28-1-1-0
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SB 1316: child fatality; maternal mortality
Sponsor: Senator Mesnard, LD 13
Caucus & COW
Overview
Makes the Maternal Mortality Review (MMR) Program which is composed of members and staff of the MMR Committee to evaluate the incidence, causes and preventability of pregnancy-associated deaths as a permanent program. Prescribes MMR Committee membership and duties of the MMR Program.
History
Established within the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS), the Arizona Child Fatality Review Team (CFR Team) is composed of the head, or designee, of 9 state agencies and 10 additional prescribed members appointed by the DHS Director.
Responsibilities of the State CFR Team include but are not limited to: 1) developing a child fatalities data collection system; 2) providing training to cooperating agencies, individuals and local review teams on the use of the child fatalities data system; 3) conducting and submitting an annual statistical report on the incidence and causes of child fatalities in Arizona during the past fiscal year; 4) developing standards and protocols for local review teams and providing training and technical assistance to these teams; 5) developing protocols for child fatality investigations; 6) educating the public regarding the incidence and causes of child fatalities and the public's role in preventing these deaths; and 7) informing the Governor and Legislature of the need for specific recommendations regarding unexplained infant death (A.R.S. § 36-3501).
The MMR Program was created by Laws 2011, Chapter 143 as a component of the state CFR Team. The State CFR Team must evaluate the incidence and causes of maternal fatalities associated with pregnancy in Arizona. Maternal fatalities associated with pregnancy is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within one year after the end of the pregnancy. The MMR Program was developed by DHS to implement this requirement. The MMR Program currently conducts reviews of all pregnancy associated deaths in Arizona. Maternal deaths are organized into one of the following categories: 1) pregnancy related death; 2) pregnancy associated death; 3) not pregnancy related or associated; and 4) unable to determine. Once assigned to a category, the MMR Committee focuses on the cause of death for pregnancy related and pregnancy associated deaths. The review examines whether the death was preventable or not and if there were any underlying causes. If the death is considered preventable, the MMR Committee makes recommendations on what could have been done to change the outcome (DHS).
Provisions
1. Shifts, from the State CFR Team to the MMR Program, the responsibility to evaluate the incidence, causes and preventability of pregnancy-associated deaths in Arizona. (Sec. 2-3)
2. Creates the MMR Program to evaluate the incidence, causes and preventability of pregnancy-associated deaths. (Sec. 3)
3. Instructs the MMR Program to:
a) develop a data collection system for maternal fatalities;
b) provide training to cooperating agencies and individuals on identification, review and dissemination processes;
c) coordinate and facilitate case reviews by the MMR Committee;
d) study the adequacy of statutes, ordinances, rules, training and services to determine the changes that are needed to decrease the incidence of preventable maternal fatalities;
e) produce a statistical report on the incidence and causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Arizona by May 15 of each even-numbered year; and
f) submit a copy of the statistical report to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the chairpersons of the Health and Human Services Committees in the House and the Senate or their successor committees. (Sec. 3)
4. Requires the DHS Director to appoint at least the following members of the MMR Committee:
a) two licensed obstetricians, at least one of whom is a maternal fetal medicine specialist;
b) a licensed and certified nurse midwife;
c) a representative of a nonprofit organization that provides education, services or research related to maternal and child health;
d) a representative of an organization that represents hospitals in Arizona;
e) a behavioral health professional;
f) a domestic or interpersonal violence specialist;
g) a forensic pathologist or toxicologist;
h) an individual with personal or community-level experience in maternal health issues;
i) a representative from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System;
j) a representative from the Department of Child Safety;
k) a representative from the Arizona Perinatal Trust; and
l) a representative of Indian Health Services. (Sec. 3)
5. Stipulates that at least one member of the MMR Committee must be from a county with a population of fewer than 500,000 persons. (Sec. 3)
6. Requires the MMR Committee, in collaboration with the MMR Program, to produce prevention recommendations that aim to address the contributing factors leading to preventable pregnancy-associated deaths. (Sec. 3)
7. Directs the MMR Program to receive access to all information and records regarding:
a) a child whose fatality or near fatality is being reviewed by a child fatality review team or the child's family; and
b) pregnancy-associated maternal fatalities, as described. (Sec. 5)
8. States that the MMR Program is composed of the MMR Committee and its staff. (Sec. 3)
9. Requires the DHS Director to appoint the members of the MMR Committee. (Sec. 3)
10. Tasks the DHS Director or their designee to serve as a co-chairperson of the MMR Committee. (Sec. 3)
11. Requires the MMR Committee to elect a second co-chairperson from the MMR Committee's membership. (Sec. 3)
12. Specifies that MMR Committee members are not eligible for compensation, except that appointed members may be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred because of the member's official duties. (Sec. 3)
13. Removes the requirement that a local CFR Team designate a team chairperson to review the death certificates of all women who die within the team's jurisdiction. (Sec. 4)
14. Forbids members of the MMR Program, persons attending an MMR Program meeting and persons who present information to the MMR Program from being questioned in any civil or criminal proceedings related to information presented at or opinions formed because of the meeting. (Sec. 5)
15. Defines pregnancy-associated death to mean a death that occurred during pregnancy or within one year after the end of pregnancy. (Sec. 3)
16. Repeals the definition of maternal fatalities associated with pregnancy. (Sec. 2)
17. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1-2)
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21. SB 1316
22. Initials AG/BG Page 0 Caucus & COW
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