SB 1048
Initials AG/MT Page 1 Health & Human Services
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
Senate: HHS DPA 7-0-0-0 |3rd Read 28-0-2-0
SB 1048: child fatality review teams; duties
Sponsor: Senator Shope, LD 16
Committee on Health & Human Services
Overview
Makes modifications to the membership and duties of the State Child Fatality Review Team
(State CFR Team) and local child fatality review teams (local review teams). Provides the
Chairperson of the State CFR Team or a local review team access to all information and
records regarding a child fatality or near fatality under review.
History
The State CFR Team is established in the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS).
The CFR program was created to review all possible factors surrounding a child's death and
identify ways of reducing preventable fatalities. Its duties include encouraging and assisting
in the development of local review teams, conducting an annual statistical report on the
incidence and causes of child fatalities in Arizona and evaluating the incidence and causes of
maternal fatalities associated with pregnancy in Arizona. The State CFR Team consists of
the head, or designee, of 11 various state offices and entities, as well as 10 additional
members appointed by the DHS Director who serve staggered 3-year terms (CFR Report
2023, and A.R.S. § 36-3501).
If local review teams are organized, they must abide by the standards and protocols developed
by the State CFR Team and must have prior authorization from the State CFR Team to
conduct fatality reviews. Local review teams must be composed of the head of applicable
county medical examiner's office, county health department and the Department of Child
Safety, or their designees, as well as six additional members from various professions
appointed by the Chairperson of the State CFR Team (A.R.S § 36-3502).
On request of the Chairperson of the State CFR Team or local review team and as necessary
to carry out team's duties, must be provided within five days excluding weekends and
holidays with access to information and records regarding a child whose death is being
reviewed by the team, or information and records regarding the child's family and records of
a maternal fatality associated with pregnancy from a provider of medical, dental or mental
health care and from this state or political subdivision that might assist a team to review a
child fatality.
A member of the state CFR Team or local review team is prohibited from contacting,
interviewing or obtaining information by request or subpoena from a member of a deceased
child's family, unless the member is a public officer or employee who may contact, interview
or obtain information as part of the public officers or employee's other official duties, if
necessary (A.R.S. § 36-3503).
SB 1048
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Provisions
State CFR Membership & Duties
1. Alters the membership of the State CFR Team, by:
a) removing the head of the DHS Office of Planning and Health Status Monitoring;
b) combining the heads of the Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) and the Parent
Assistance Office of the Supreme Court into one position, the head of AOC's Parent
Assistance Program;
c) updating the head of the Governor's Office for Children with the head of the
Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family; and
d) replacing the DHS-appointed public member with a member of the local review team.
(Sec. 1)
2. Removes the requirement that DHS-appointed members of the State CFR Team serve
staggered three-year terms. (sec. 1)
3. Requires the State CFR Team's annual statistical report on the incidence and causes of
child fatalities to include data from the past year instead of the fiscal year. (Sec. 1)
4. Requires the State CFR Team, beginning January 1, 2025, to conduct an annual
statistical report on the incidence and causes of child fatalities and near fatalities
identified by the Department of Child Safety within the past year and submit a copy of
the report and its recommendations for action to the Governor, President of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by November 15 of each year. (Sec. 1)
5. Requires the State CFR Team's annual statistical report on incident and causes of child
fatalities to include available information regarding plans for or progress toward
implementation of recommendations. (Sec. 1)
6. Instructs that the recommendations made to a state, agency, board or commission must
require a written response indicating whether the agency is capable of implementing the
recommendations within its existing authority and resources, including any applicable
implementation plan to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the State CFR Team within 60 days after the report is submitted.
(Sec. 1)
7. Directs the State CFR Team to inform the Governor and Legislature of the need for
specific recommendations regarding sudden unexpected infant death, rather than
unexplained infant death. (Sec. 1)
Access to Information
8. Requires local review teams to designate a chairperson to review the death certificates of
all women who die within the team's jurisdiction and call meetings when necessary.
(Sec. 2)
9. Provides the Chairperson of the State CFR Team or a local review team access to all
information and records regarding a child fatality or near fatality under review from a
person or institution providing medical, dental, nursing or mental health care. (Sec. 3)
10. Permits a member of the State CFR Team, a local review team or a member's designee to
contact, interview or obtain information by request from a family member of a child or
woman who dies within the team's jurisdiction pursuant to policies adopted by the State
CFR Team. (Sec. 3)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note SB 1048
Initials AG/MT Page 3 Health & Human Services
11. Directs the State CFR Team to establish a process for approving any contact, interview
or request before any team member or designee contacts, interview or obtains information
from a woman or a child's family member within the team's jurisdiction. (Sec. 3)
12. Mandates that any policies adopted must require any individual engaging with a family
member to be trained in trauma informed interview techniques and educated on support
services available to a family member. (Sec. 3)
Miscellaneous
13. Replaces the psychiatrist or psychologist member of a local review team with a mental
health specialist. (Sec. 2)
14. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1-3)