SSB 3123

This bill relates to the establishment of the Iowa child death and domestic abuse death review team. The bill merges the Iowa child death review team and the Iowa domestic abuse death review team to create the new Iowa child death and domestic abuse death review team. _____ law enforcement investigator experienced in domestic abuse investigation; a county attorney; a judicial officer appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court; an employee or subcontractor of the department of corrections who is a trained batterers’ education program facilitator; an attorney licensed in this state who provides criminal defense assistance or child custody representation, and who has experience in dissolution of marriage proceedings; a male and a female victim of domestic abuse; and a member of the public. The bill provides that liaisons designated by the attorney general, the director of the Iowa department of corrections, the director of public health, the director of human services, the commissioner of public safety, the administrator of the bureau of vital records of the Iowa department of public health, the director of the department of education, the state court administrator, the director of the department of human rights, the director of the state law enforcement academy, the director of the department of transportation, and the state medical examiner will assist the team in fulfilling the team’s duties. The bill provides that the duties of the team include: preparing a biennial report for the governor, supreme court, attorney general, and the general assembly; advising and consulting the agencies represented on the team and other state agencies regarding program and regulatory changes that may prevent child and domestic abuse deaths; and developing protocols for child and domestic abuse death investigations and team review. The bill provides that the review team shall develop protocols for a child fatality review committee to immediately review child abuse assessments which involve the fatality of a child under age eighteen. The bill makes conforming Code changes including definitions, confidentiality, and rulemaking for the new review team.