H-2208.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1035

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1995 Regular Session

By House Committee on Children & Family Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Thibaudeau, Morris, Scott, Tokuda, Costa, Mason, Brown, Ogden, Basich, Wolfe, Patterson and Chopp)

Read first time 02/28/95.

Establishing notification and referral procedures for deaths occurring in children's residential facilities and in facilities serving developmentally disabled persons.

     AN ACT Relating to death investigations in residential facilities operated or under control of the department of social and health services; adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 71A.12 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:

     (1) If a death of a child occurs in a residential facility serving children licensed by or under contract with the department of social and health services, the department shall notify the coroner or medical examiner the death occurred in a department licensed or contracted facility.

     (2) The department shall refer every child death under this section to the local health department as defined in RCW 70.05.010 for a child mortality review.  The local health department shall conduct a child mortality review pursuant to the provisions of RCW 70.05.170.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 71A.12 RCW to read as follows:

     (1) If a death of a person with developmental disabilities occurs in a residential facility serving people with developmental disabilities licensed by, under contract with, or operated by the department of social and health services, the department shall notify the coroner or medical examiner the death occurred in a department licensed, contracted, or operated facility.

     (2) The department shall refer every death of a person with developmental disabilities under this section to the local health department as defined in RCW 70.05.010 for a mortality review.   The local health department shall conduct a mortality review using the procedures established in RCW 70.05.170.

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