HLS 20RS-443 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 68
BY REPRESENTATIVE HILFERTY
PUBLIC HEALTH: Requests a study concerning means by which to ensure that autopsies
are conducted in all cases of maternal deaths occurring in hospitals
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health through the Commission on
3 Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality and the stakeholders listed therein
4 to identify and explore means by which to conduct autopsies of all in-hospital
5 maternal deaths and to standardize coroner and toxicology reporting on maternal
6 deaths.
7 WHEREAS, a maternal death is generally defined as the death of an individual while
8pregnant or within forty-two days of pregnancy; and
9 WHEREAS, a current Center for Disease Control Foundation initiative entitled
10"Building U.S. Capacity to Review and Prevent Maternal Deaths" encourages states to
11complete a review process that identifies the underlying cause of maternal deaths; and
12 WHEREAS, according to a report released by the Louisiana Department of Health
13entitled "Louisiana Maternal Mortality Review Report 2011-2016", forty-three percent of
14maternal deaths in Louisiana do not have an autopsy performed, making determination of
15the cause of death difficult; and
16 WHEREAS, there are presently at least forty-one Maternal Mortality Review
17Committees (MMRC) in this country, many mandated or created by state legislation in their
18home states; and
19 WHEREAS, according to the MMRC in Washington State, "Because maternal deaths
20are relatively unusual, and may be associated with clinical and pathologic features not
21commonly evaluated by many autopsy pathologists, the development of guidelines and an
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HCR NO. 68
1associated checklist was considered to be likely to improve the quality of death evaluation
2and in that way, improve maternal health in the state of Washington; and
3 WHEREAS, standardizing coroner and toxicology reporting on maternal deaths in
4Louisiana is likely to improve the quality of maternal death evaluation and therefore improve
5maternal health outcomes in Louisiana.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
7urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health through the Commission on Perinatal
8Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality and the stakeholders listed therein to study the
9means by which to conduct autopsies of all in-hospital maternal deaths and to standardize
10coroner and toxicology reporting on maternal deaths.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in developing the study, the department shall
12seek to engage, collaborate with, and obtain information and perspective from stakeholder
13groups with appropriate expertise, including but not limited to the Louisiana Coroner's
14Association and the Louisiana Hospital Association.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of the Louisiana Department of
16Health shall take such actions as are necessary to ensure that the study committee convenes
17on or before September 1, 2020.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Health through the
19Commission on Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality shall provide the findings
20of this study in the form of a report outlining the identified or proposed mechanisms to the
21House Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare
22on or before June 30, 2021.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
24secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and the Commission on Perinatal Care and
25Prevention of Infant Mortality.
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HCR NO. 68
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 68 Original 2020 Regular Session Hilferty
Urges and requests the La. Dept. of Health (LDH) through the Commission on Perinatal
Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality to study ways to conduct autopsies of all maternal
deaths that occur in-hospital and to standardize coroner and toxicology reporting on maternal
deaths.
Requires LDH through the Commission on Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality
to submit a written report of findings resulting from the study to the legislative committees
on health and welfare on or before June 30, 2021.
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