Existing law establishes the Maternal Mortality Review Committee within the Department of Health and Human Services and requires the Committee to perform certain duties relating to studying and recommending measures to reduce maternal mortality. (NRS 442.751-442.774) Section 8 of this bill similarly establishes the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Program within the Department. Sections 5-7 of this bill define certain terms. Section 8 requires the Program, at the direction of the Advisory Committee of the Office of Minority Health and Equity of the Department, to: (1) review incidents of fetal and infant death in this State; (2) identify factors associated with and develop recommendations concerning fetal and infant death in this State; and (3) disseminate findings and recommendations concerning fetal and infant death to providers of health care, medical facilities, other interested persons and the public. Section 9 of this bill entitles the Program to certain records it deems necessary to perform its duties and authorizes the Department, on behalf of the Program, to petition the district court for a subpoena to compel the production of such records. Sections 9 and 12 of this bill also provide that information acquired by and records of the Program are confidential and not subject to subpoena, discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding. Section 10 of this bill authorizes the Department to convene a multidisciplinary team to: (1) review the findings of the Program; and (2) make recommendations to prevent fetal and infant death. Sections 9, 10 and 13 of this bill provide that certain meetings held by the Program or a multidisciplinary team are closed to the public. Existing law authorizes the director or other authorized representative of an agency that provides child welfare services to organize one or more multidisciplinary teams to review the death of a child for the purpose of developing a report and recommendations on the prevention of such deaths. (NRS 432B.405-432B.4075) Existing law establishes the Executive Committee to Review the Death of Children and requires each multidisciplinary team to transmit its report and recommendations to the Executive Committee. (NRS 432B.408, 432B.409) Sections 8, 14 and 16 of this bill require the Program, the director or other authorized representative of an agency which provides child welfare services, a multidisciplinary team organized to review the death of an infant and the Executive Committee to coordinate to ensure that certain reports are made concerning the death of an infant and avoid duplication of efforts. Sections 8 and 15 of this bill authorize the sharing of information between the Program and a multidisciplinary team to review the death of an infant.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 442.767
Reprint 1: 232.484, 239.010, 241.016, 432B.405, 432B.407, 432B.409
BDR: 442.767