December 11, 2013 - Introduced by Representatives Loudenbeck, Krug, Bies,
Kahl, Kleefisch, T. Larson, A. Ott, C. Taylor and Wright, cosponsored by
Senators Olsen, Darling, Petrowski and Lassa. Referred to Committee on
Children and Families.
AB554,1,6 1An Act to amend 48.396 (1), 48.396 (2) (a), 48.78 (2) (a), 48.981 (7) (a) 15., 253.01,
2938.396 (1) (a), 938.396 (2) and 938.78 (2) (a); and to create 15.197 (15), 19.85
3(1) (j), 51.30 (4) (b) 29., 69.20 (3) (b) 6., 118.125 (2) (o), 146.82 (2) (a) 23., 227.01
4(13) (uv), subchapter I (title) of chapter 253 [precedes 253.01], subchapter II of
5chapter 253 [precedes 253.30] and 905.17 of the statutes; relating to: creating
6a statewide program to review child deaths and providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill generally provides for the establishment of a child death review
program within the Department of Health Services (DHS), a Child Death Review
Council (council), and local review teams to conduct child death reviews. Specifically,
the bill does all of the following:
Child death review program operated by DHS
The bill requires DHS to develop and maintain a statewide program to review
the deaths of children in this state for the purpose of reducing preventable childhood
deaths. DHS must do all of the following as part of the program: 1) provide support
to the council; 2) collect data pertaining to childhood deaths, including by entering
into data-sharing agreements with other state agencies; 3) cooperate with other
state agencies to develop and implement programs and policies to prevent child
deaths in this state; and 4) after considering any recommendations of the council,

provide certain information to the public about childhood deaths. The bill also
requires DHS, after considering any recommendations received from the council, to
assist local child death review teams in various ways, including by adopting
standards and protocols for use by the recognized local review teams. The bill allows
DHS to enter into a contract to perform its duties under the statewide program.
Child Death Review Council
The bill establishes the council within DHS, which must consist of: 1)
appointees from various state agencies; 2) one or more representatives of federally
recognized American Indian tribes; and 3) at least 17 other members who have
demonstrated a continuing interest in the problem of unexplained or preventable
childhood deaths. The bill requires the council to: 1) collect and review data
pertaining to child deaths that occur in this state; 2) identify trends in childhood
deaths in this state; 3) make certain reports and recommendations to the governor,
the legislature, DHS, and applicable state agencies related to interventions to
prevent childhood deaths, matters related to unexpected or unexplained deaths
among children, and data collected by the council and the council's policy
recommendations following from that data; 4) make recommendations to DHS
regarding assisting local review teams and establishing criteria and a process for
recognizing local child death review teams; and 5) make information available to the
public about the council and the council's role in public policy related to preventing
childhood deaths.
The bill requires the council to review an individual child's death upon a request
from a local child death review team recognized by DHS and also allows the council
to review an individual child's death when no review is conducted by a recognized
local review team.
Local child death review teams
The bill requires DHS to recognize local child death review teams for particular
geographical areas in this state and requires local review teams so recognized to
review the deaths of children that occur in the geographical area for which the team
is recognized, except that the bill: 1) requires a recognized local review team to
request that the council instead review a child's death when required by the
standards and protocols established by DHS; and 2) allows a recognized local review
team to review the death of a child that occurs outside of the geographical area for
which the team is recognized under certain circumstances.
The bill requires recognized local review teams to: 1) follow and apply the
standards and protocols established by DHS for child death reviews; 2) enter data
collected in connection with the review of a child's death into a state-designated case
reporting system; 3) identify trends in childhood deaths in the geographical area for
which the team is recognized and work with local organizations to make
recommendations related to interventions to prevent childhood deaths; and 4) share
information with other recognized local review teams.
Records, confidentiality, and immunity
The bill allows the council or a recognized local review team, subject to certain
restrictions under the bill and current law, to obtain various types of records that are
otherwise not generally subject to disclosure under current law, including mental

health records, records in the possession of children's services agencies, court records
of children and juveniles, reports of suspected child abuse or neglect, school records
relating to individual pupils, health records, and certain vital records information.
The bill contains the following provisions with respect to confidentiality:
1. The bill provides that reviews of child deaths by the council or a recognized
local review team may be conducted in closed session under the open meetings law.
2. The bill provides that information and records acquired by the council or a
recognized local review team are confidential and not open to public inspection or
copying under the public records law from a recognized local review team or the
council. The bill requires all information presented in connection with the child
death review and any opinions formed as a result of the child death review to be kept
confidential, except for information shared between local review teams and local
review teams and the council. The bill provides for a criminal penalty for any person
who violates the confidentiality provision.
3. The bill creates a privilege in the rules of evidence for persons who
participate in a child death review. Under the privilege, a person who participates
in a child death review may refuse to disclose and to prevent any other person from
disclosing any information provided or obtained or opinions formed or offered in the
course of a child death review, except for information obtained independent of a child
death review or information that is available for public inspection or copying under
the public records law. Any person participating in a child death review may claim
the privilege. Information for which the privilege is validly claimed may not be used
in court or administrative proceedings.
Finally, the bill provides that any person participating in a child death review
under the provisions created in the bill, including both a person conducting the child
death review as well as a person providing information or records, is immune from
any civil or criminal liability for any good faith act or omission in connection with that
participation.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,
the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a
report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to
result if the bill is enacted.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB554,1 1Section 1. 15.197 (15) of the statutes is created to read:
AB554,4,3
115.197 (15) Child death review council. (a) There is created in the
2department of health services a child death review council consisting of all of the
3following members:
AB554,4,44 1. The secretary of health services or his or her designee.
AB554,4,55 2. The secretary of children and families or his or her designee.
AB554,4,66 3. The attorney general or his or her designee.
AB554,4,77 4. The state superintendent of public instruction or his or her designee.
AB554,4,88 5. The secretary of transportation or his or her designee.
AB554,4,99 6. The secretary of natural resources or his or her designee.
AB554,4,1210 7. One or more representatives of one or more federally recognized American
11Indian tribes or bands in this state who are appointed by the secretary of health
12services.
AB554,4,1613 8. At least 17 other members who have demonstrated a continuing interest in,
14or who have expertise that the secretary of health services determines is relevant to,
15the problem of unexplained or preventable childhood deaths, appointed by the
16secretary of health services.
AB554,2 17Section 2. 19.85 (1) (j) of the statutes is created to read:
AB554,4,1918 19.85 (1) (j) Review of a child's death by the child death review council or by
19a recognized local review team, as defined in s. 253.30 (3).
AB554,3 20Section 3. 48.396 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB554,5,2121 48.396 (1) Law enforcement officers' records of children shall be kept separate
22from records of adults. Law enforcement officers' records of the adult expectant
23mothers of unborn children shall be kept separate from records of other adults. Law
24enforcement officers' records of children and the adult expectant mothers of unborn
25children shall not be open to inspection or their contents disclosed except under sub.

1(1b), (1d), (5), or (6) or s. 48.293 or, 253.36, or 938.396 (2m) (c) 1p. or by order of the
2court. This subsection does not apply to the representatives of newspapers or other
3reporters of news who wish to obtain information for the purpose of reporting news
4without revealing the identity of the child or adult expectant mother involved, to the
5confidential exchange of information between the police and officials of the public or
6private school attended by the child or other law enforcement or social welfare
7agencies, or to children 10 years of age or older who are subject to the jurisdiction of
8the court of criminal jurisdiction. A public school official who obtains information
9under this subsection shall keep the information confidential as required under s.
10118.125, and a private school official who obtains information under this subsection
11shall keep the information confidential in the same manner as is required of a public
12school official under s. 118.125. This subsection does not apply to the confidential
13exchange of information between the police and officials of the tribal school attended
14by the child if the police determine that enforceable protections are provided by a
15tribal school policy or tribal law that requires tribal school officials to keep the
16information confidential in a manner at least as stringent as is required of a public
17school official under s. 118.125. A law enforcement agency that obtains information
18under this subsection shall keep the information confidential as required under this
19subsection and s. 938.396 (1) (a). A social welfare agency that obtains information
20under this subsection shall keep the information confidential as required under ss.
2148.78 and 938.78.
AB554,4 22Section 4. 48.396 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB554,6,423 48.396 (2) (a) Records of the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this
24chapter and ch. 938 and of courts exercising jurisdiction under s. 48.16 shall be
25entered in books or deposited in files kept for that purpose only. Those records shall

1not be open to inspection or their contents disclosed except by order of the court
2assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 938 or as required or
3permitted under this subsection, sub. (3) (b) or (c) 1g., 1m., or 1r. or (6), or s. 48.375
4(7) (e) or 253.36.
AB554,5 5Section 5. 48.78 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB554,6,106 48.78 (2) (a) No agency may make available for inspection or disclose the
7contents of any record kept or information received about an individual who is or was
8in its care or legal custody, except as provided under s. 48.371, 48.38 (5) (b) or (d) or
9(5m) (d), 48.396 (3) (bm) or (c) 1r., 48.432, 48.433, 48.48 (17) (bm), 48.57 (2m), 48.93,
1048.981 (7), 253.36, 938.396 (2m) (c) 1r., 938.51, or 938.78 or by order of the court.
AB554,6 11Section 6. 48.981 (7) (a) 15. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB554,6,1512 48.981 (7) (a) 15. A child fatality recognized local review team recognized by
13the county department or, in a county having a population of 500,000 or more, the
14department or a licensed child welfare agency under contract with the department
,
15as defined in s. 253.30 (3), or the child death review council
.
AB554,7 16Section 7. 51.30 (4) (b) 29. of the statutes is created to read:
AB554,7,417 51.30 (4) (b) 29. To an authorized member of the child death review council or
18of a recognized local review team, as defined in s. 253.30 (3), upon an oral or written
19request from that person, if the individual is a deceased child whose death is the
20subject of review under subch. II of the ch. 253 and the individual's treatment records
21are relevant, as determined by the member, to the review of that death. A custodian
22of treatment records may initiate contact with the child death review council or a
23recognized local review team to inform the council or team of treatment records of
24a deceased child that may be relevant to the completion of a review of a child's death
25under subch. II of ch. 253. The recipient of any treatment records released under this

1subdivision shall keep the records confidential, except that a member of a recognized
2local review team may share records released under this subdivision with the other
3members of that team, with another recognized local review team conducting a
4review of that child's death, or with the child death review council.
AB554,8 5Section 8. 69.20 (3) (b) 6. of the statutes is created to read:
AB554,7,86 69.20 (3) (b) 6. The information will be used by the child death review council
7or a recognized local review team, as defined in s. 253.30 (3), for the purpose of
8reviewing the death of a child.
AB554,9 9Section 9. 118.125 (2) (o) of the statutes is created to read:
AB554,7,1510 118.125 (2) (o) Upon the written consent of an adult pupil or the parent or
11guardian of a minor pupil or to comply with a court order, the school district clerk or
12his or her designee shall make available to a recognized local review team, as defined
13in s. 253.30 (3), or the child death review council pupil records requested by the team
14or council if the pupil records involve or are relevant to, as determined by the team
15or council, the review of a child's death under subch. II of ch. 253.
AB554,10 16Section 10. 146.82 (2) (a) 23. of the statutes is created to read:
AB554,7,1817 146.82 (2) (a) 23. To the child death review council or a recognized local review
18team, as defined in s. 253.30 (3), for the purpose of reviewing the death of a child.
AB554,11 19Section 11. 227.01 (13) (uv) of the statutes is created to read:
AB554,7,2020 227.01 (13) (uv) Adopts standards and protocols under s. 253.31 (1) (e) 4.
AB554,12 21Section 12. Subchapter I (title) of chapter 253 [precedes 253.01] of the statutes
22is created to read:
AB554,7,2323 Chapter 253
AB554,7,2424 Subchapter I
AB554,7,2525 Maternal and child health
AB554,13
1Section 13. 253.01 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB554,8,3 2253.01 Definition. In this chapter subchapter, "division" means the division
3within the department that has primary responsibility for health issues.
AB554,14 4Section 14. Subchapter II of chapter 253 [precedes 253.30] of the statutes is
5created to read:
AB554,8,66 Chapter 253
AB554,8,77 Subchapter II
AB554,8,88 Child Death ReviewS
AB554,8,9 9253.30 Definitions. In this subchapter:
AB554,8,10 10(1) "Child" means an individual under the age of 18.
AB554,8,11 11(2) "Council" means the child death review council.
AB554,8,13 12(3) "Recognized local review team" means a local review team under s. 253.33
13that is recognized by the department under s. 253.31 (1) (e) 1.
AB554,8,18 14253.31 Child death review program. (1) The department shall develop and
15maintain a statewide program to review the deaths of children in this state for the
16purpose of reducing preventable childhood deaths. The department shall develop
17the program to include the council and recognized local review teams. Under the
18program, the department shall do all of the following:
AB554,8,1919 (a) Provide professional and administrative support to the council.
AB554,8,2120 (b) Collect data that pertains to childhood deaths, including by entering into
21data-sharing agreements with other state agencies that collect similar data.
AB554,8,2322 (c) Cooperate with other state agencies to develop and implement programs
23and policies to prevent the deaths of children in this state.
AB554,9,224 (d) After considering any recommendations received from the council, provide
25information to the public about the risk factors for and circumstances surrounding

1childhood deaths in this state and about specific strategies to prevent childhood
2deaths.
AB554,9,43 (e) After considering any recommendations received from the council, assist
4local review teams, including by doing all of the following:
AB554,9,65 1. Recognizing local review teams for particular geographical areas in this
6state, following applications under s. 253.33.
AB554,9,77 2. Facilitating the formation of individual local review teams.
AB554,9,88 3. Providing assistance with training and data collection procedures.
AB554,9,99 4. Adopting standards and protocols for recognized local review teams.
AB554,9,1010 5. Creating forms and tools for child death reviews.
AB554,9,12 11(2) The department may enter into a contract with an entity to perform any of
12the department's duties under this section.
AB554,9,14 13253.32 Child death review council. (1) The council shall do all of the
14following:
AB554,9,1515 (a) Collect and review data pertaining to child deaths that occur in this state.
AB554,9,1716 (b) Review an individual child's death upon a request from a recognized local
17review team.
AB554,9,2118 (c) Identify trends in childhood deaths in this state, and make
19recommendations to the legislature and applicable state agencies related to
20interventions to prevent childhood deaths, including any necessary state resources
21that are required to implement the recommended interventions.
AB554,9,2422 (d) Make recommendations to the legislature, the department, and any other
23state agency on matters related to unexpected or unexplained deaths among
24children.
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