FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1303

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

House Committee on Health Care & Wellness

House Committee on Health & Human Services Appropriations

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care

Background:

Local health departments are authorized to conduct child mortality reviews. A child mortality review is a process for examining factors that contribute to deaths of children less than 18 years of age. The process may include:

a systematic review of medical, clinical, and hospital records;
home interviews of parents and caretakers of children who have died;
analysis of individual case information; and
review of the information by a team of professionals in order to identify modifiable medical, socioeconomic, public health, behavioral, administrative, educational, and environmental factors associated with the death.

The Department of Health (DOH) collects child mortality reviews, enters them into a database, and provides technical assistance relating to child mortality reviews. To do this, the DOH uses funding from the federal Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, one of the purposes of which is to reduce infant mortality.

Summary:

The Department of Health (DOH) must assist local health departments to collect the reports of any child mortality reviews and assist the departments to enter the reviews into a database. The DOH must respond to any requests for information from the database to the extent the information is not protected health information. The DOH must also provide technical assistance to local health departments and child death review coordinators and encourage communication among child death review teams. The DOH must conduct these activities using only federal and private funding.

Votes on Final Passage:

House	97	0
Senate	47	0