April 20, 2023 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.
AB188,,22An Act to amend 48.396 (1), 48.396 (2) (a), 48.78 (2) (a), 48.981 (7) (a) 15., 938.396 (1) (a), 938.396 (2) (a) and 938.78 (2) (a); and to create 51.30 (4) (b) 29., 146.82 (2) (d), 250.22 and 961.385 (2) (cm) 5. of the statutes; relating to: fatality review teams and granting rule-making authority. AB188,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in the bill.
AB188,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint Legislative Council Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards.
Current law does not address fatality review teams, though several types of such teams currently exist in Wisconsin based on voluntary efforts primarily organized by counties, with state-level technical assistance available for certain types of teams. The bill establishes fatality review teams under state law.
Under the bill, a fatality review team is defined as a multidisciplinary and multiagency team reviewing one or more types of death among children or adults and developing recommendations to prevent future deaths of similar circumstances. The bill generally governs a team’s responsibilities, ability to access certain records, confidentiality requirements, and disclosure of information.
Duties and Authority of the Department of Health Services (DHS)
Under the bill, DHS must establish a fatality review program comprised of local fatality review teams established at the option of a county, a local health department, or a tribal health department, or a combination of these entities. The bill also authorizes, but does not require, DHS to create state fatality review teams.