ENGR. H. B. NO. 2152 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 2152 By: Roe and Waldron of the House and Dossett of the Senate An Act relating to maternal mortality; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Section 1 -242.4, which relates to composition and structure of the Maternal Mortal ity Review Committee; reducing membership; requiring hospital or licensed birthing center to report certain maternal deaths to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Section 938, which relates to types of deaths to be investigated ; broadening types of deaths required to be investigated; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Section 939, which relates to production of re cords, documents, evidence, or other material; authorizing Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to share certain material with the Maternal Mortality Review Committee for specified purpose; providing for codification; and providing an effective date . BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Secti on 1-242.4, is amended to read as follows: Section 1-242.4 The Maternal Mortality Review Committee shall be composed of twenty-five (25) twenty-four (24) members, or their designees, as follows: 1. Eighteen of the members shall be: a. the Chief Medical Examiner, ENGR. H. B. NO. 2152 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 b. the Chair of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, c. the Chief Medical Of ficer of the State Department of Health, d. the Chief Medical Officer of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, e. the President of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, f. the Medical Director for the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, g. the Director of the Maternal and Child Health Services Service of the State Department of Health, h. the Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, i. the Chair of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, j. the Director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, k. the Director of the Injury Prevention Services Service of the State Department of Health, l. the Director of the Family Support and Prevention Service of the State Department of Health, m. the Executive Director of the So uthern Plains Tribal Health Board, ENGR. H. B. NO. 2152 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 n. the President of the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, o. the Director of the Office of Perinatal Quality Improvement, p. the Director of the Oklahoma City/County City-County Health Department, q. the Director of the Tulsa Health Department, a nd r. the Maternal and Child Health Service Perinatal and Reproductive Health Division Medical Director; and 2. Seven Six of the members shall be appointed by the State Commissioner of Health to serve for two-year terms and shall be eligible for reappointmen t. The members shall be persons having training and experience in matters related to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. The members shall be appointed from the following positions: a. a physician who is a member of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, b. a physician who is a member of the Okla homa Osteopathic Association, c. a current law enforcement officer w ho is employed by a local or county law enforcement agency, d. a maternal-fetal medicine physician, e. an individual who has been affected by pregnancy- related or pregnancy-associated deaths, severe ENGR. H. B. NO. 2152 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 maternal morbidity, and/or lack of access to maternal health care services, and f. an emergency medical technician, and g. a home-visiting program director services provider. Every two (2) years the Committee shall elect fro m among its membership a chair and a vice-chair. The Committee shall meet at least quarterly and may meet more frequently as necessary as determined by the chai r. SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-702f of Title 63, unless there is created a duplication in numbe ring, reads as follows: A hospital or licensed bir thing center shall mak e a reasonable and good-faith effort to report to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, within seventy-two (72) hours after the death occurs, any maternal death that occurs in the hospital or licensed birthing center during pregna ncy or within one (1) year of termination of pregnancy. SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 938, is amended to read as follows: Section 938. A. All human deaths of the ty pes listed herein shall be investigated as provide d by law: 1. Violent deaths, whether apparently homicidal, suic idal, or accidental; 2. Deaths under suspicious, unu sual or unnatural circumstances; ENGR. H. B. NO. 2152 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 3. Deaths related to disease which might constitute a t hreat to public health; 4. Deaths unattended by a licensed physician fo r a fatal or potentially-fatal potentially fatal illness; 5. Deaths that are medically unexpec ted and that occur in the course of a therapeutic procedure; 6. Deaths of any persons de tained or occurring in custody of penal incarceration; and 7. Deaths of persons whose bodies are to be cremated, transported out of the state, donated to educational entities, to include limited portions of the body, or otherwise made ultimately unavailable for pathological study ; and 8. Maternal deaths that occur d uring pregnancy or within one (1) year of terminati on of pregnancy reported by a hospital or licensed birthing center under Section 2 of this act. B. The Chief Medical Examiner shall state on the certificate of death of all persons whose death was caused by execution pursuant to a lawful court order that the cause of death was the execution of such order. SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 939, is amended to read as follows: Section 939. A. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Chief Medical Examiner shall produce re cords, documents, evidence or other material of any nature only upon the order of a court of competent ENGR. H. B. NO. 2152 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 jurisdiction. An interested party or l itigant in a civil or criminal action may make application for an order to produce such materials. The court, aft er notice to all parties, including the Chief Medical Examiner, and a hearing on the application, may, upon the showing of good cause, direct the release of a copy or any part of such material. In additio n, the court may also direct the payment of reasonable costs by the requesting party for the production of the material. The production of such material shall take place at the Office of the C hief Medical Examiner unless, upon a showing of good cause, spe cifically ordered otherwise by the court. B. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, the Chief Medical Examiner may, to the extent allowed under state law, share records, documents, evid ence, or other material of any nature with the Maternal Mortalit y Review Committee for the purpose of aiding the Committee in carrying out its duties under the Materna l Mortality Review Act. SECTION 5. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. ENGR. H. B. NO. 2152 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Passed the House of Representatives the 6th day of March, 2023. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2023. Presiding Officer of the Senate