Bill > SB5163

This bill modernizes Washington state's child fatality review statute to improve understanding and prevention of child deaths. The legislation updates the existing law by expanding the age range for child fatality reviews from under 18 to under 19 years old and modifies how local health departments can conduct these reviews. Key provisions include authorizing local health departments to collect and retain identifiable information about child deaths for trend analysis and quality improvement, while maintaining strict confidentiality protections. The bill allows health departments to request and receive comprehensive data from various sources like medical providers, schools, law enforcement, and social services to conduct thorough reviews. The reviews aim to identify preventable causes of child mortality by systematically examining medical records, conducting interviews, and analyzing case information. Importantly, the bill ensures that information collected during these reviews remains confidential and cannot be used in legal proceedings, with specific exceptions for reporting child abuse or sharing independently acquired information. The overall goal is to help reduce infant and child mortality rates in Washington by providing a comprehensive, protected mechanism for investigating and understanding the factors contributing to child deaths.