HLS 18RS-3026 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 50
BY REPRESENTATIVE JAMES
PUBLIC HEALTH: Provides relative to the collection of comprehensive information
concerning an individual who suffered a violent death
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health and the stakeholders listed herein
3 to identify means by which to enable the collection of comprehensive information,
4 prepared and compiled in connection with the death of an individual who suffered
5 a violent death.
6 WHEREAS, a "violent death" means any death listed or classified on a death
7certificate or coroner's autopsy report or investigative narrative as a homicide, suicide, death
8of an undetermined intent, death due to legal intervention, unintentional firearm death, or
9death due to terrorism; and
10 WHEREAS, Louisiana has one of the highest violent death rates in the United States,
11has the second highest homicide rate in the United States, and is ranked third in the United
12States for women killed by men; and
13 WHEREAS, Louisiana has an almost equal number of suicides and homicides,
14although suicides outnumber homicides, suicides and homicides cost Louisiana an estimated
15two billion dollars annually in medical and work loss costs; and
16 WHEREAS, violent death surveillance data provides a clearer picture of violent
17death and acts as a tool to detect trends and evaluate which policies, programs, and strategies
18have the most impact; and
19 WHEREAS, violent death surveillance requires the collection of copies of all
20investigative narratives and crime lab data prepared or compiled by law enforcement in
21connection with the death of an individual who has suffered a violent death; and
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HCR NO. 50
1 WHEREAS, violent death surveillance requires the collection of copies of complete
2autopsy reports, toxicology reports, and investigative narratives prepared or compiled by
3coroners in connection with the death of an individual who has suffered a violent death; and
4 WHEREAS, the availability of comprehensive surveillance information on violent
5deaths will enable access to essential data needed to apply for funding for violence
6prevention efforts; and
7 WHEREAS, thirty-nine states, Washington, D.C., and the territory of Puerto Rico
8have identified solutions for timely comprehensive data collection for the National Violent
9Death Reporting System (NVDRS); and
10 WHEREAS, Louisiana law currently lacks the statutory authority that facilitates the
11sharing of violent death information from coroners and law enforcement with the office of
12public health; and
13 WHEREAS, in order for Louisiana to comply with federal cooperative endeavor
14agreements and have a stronger surveillance system for violent deaths, a solution for sharing
15of this information with the office of public health is required; and
16 WHEREAS, any such solution must ensure that violent death information and
17records received by the Louisiana Department of Health from coroners, law enforcement
18agencies, and others may not be disclosed or released to third parties, nor be discoverable,
19subject to subpoena, or deemed admissible in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other
20tribunal or court for any reason, allowing publication or disclosure by the department only
21of de-identified data or statistical compilations; and
22 WHEREAS, any such solution must ensure that those persons sharing information
23or records concerning violent deaths with the Louisiana Department of Health shall not incur
24liability or be deemed to have breached or violated any privileged or confidential
25relationship in connection with such sharing; and
26 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that a study is necessary regarding the appropriate
27mechanism for sharing of the comprehensive violent death information by coroners, law
28enforcement, and others in connection with the death of an individual who has suffered a
29violent death with the office of public health.
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HCR NO. 50
1 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
2urge and request that the Louisiana Department of Health, in consultation with the following
3stakeholders, study the means by which to allow for the transfer and sharing of
4comprehensive information as prepared and compiled by coroners, law enforcement
5agencies, and others in connection with the death of an individual who has suffered a violent
6death:
7 (1) The superintendent of the Louisiana State Police or his designee.
8 (2) The president of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police or his designee.
9 (3) The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association or his designee.
10 (4) The executive director of the Louisiana District Attorney's Association or his
11designee.
12 (5) The president of the Louisiana District Judges Association or his designee.
13 (6) The chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court or his designee.
14 (7) The chief of the Baton Rouge Police Department or his designee.
15 (8) The district attorney for the parish of East Baton Rouge or his designee.
16 (9) The president of the Louisiana Coroner's Association or his designee.
17 (10) The deputy secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
18 (11) The assistant secretary of the office of public health of the Louisiana
19Department of Health or his designee.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in developing the study, the department in
21consultation with the stakeholders listed herein may seek to engage, collaborate with, and
22obtain information from stakeholder groups or additional parties with appropriate expertise
23to provide guidance on this matter.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department, jointly with the stakeholders
25listed herein, shall submit a summary of its findings in the form of a report outlining the
26specific procedure or mechanism for sharing information between the office of public health
27and coroners, law enforcement agencies, and others in connection with the death of an
28individual who has suffered a violent death to the House Committee on Health and Welfare
29and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare on or before December 31, 2018.
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HCR NO. 50
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 50 Original 2018 Regular Session James
Requests that the La. Dept. of Health and the following stakeholders identify means to
enable the collection and preparation of information connected with the death of an
individual that suffered a violent death:
(1)The superintendent of the Louisiana State Police or his designee.
(2)The president of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police or his designee.
(3)The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association or his designee.
(4)The executive director of the Louisiana District Attorney's Association or his
designee.
(5)The president of the Louisiana District Judges Association or his designee.
(6)The chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court or his designee.
(7)The chief of the Baton Rouge Police Department or his designee.
(8)The district attorney for the parish of East Baton Rouge or his designee.
(9)The president of the Louisiana Coroner's Association or his designee.
(10)The deputy secretary for the La. Dept. of Health or his designee.
(11)The assistant secretary of the office of public health of the La. Dept. of Health or his
designee.
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