HP1164
LD 1676
Session - 128th Maine Legislature
C "B", Filing Number H-770, Sponsored by
LR 2500
Item 3
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:

‘An Act Expanding the Authority of the Maine Elder Death Analysis Review Team To Investigate Deaths and Serious Injuries of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism’

Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §200-H, sub-§1,  as amended by PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GG, §1, is further amended to read:

1. Composition.   The team is composed of 16 17 members as follows:
A. The Chief Medical Examiner, ex officio;
B. The Director of Investigations for the Office of the Attorney General, ex officio;
C. The Director of the Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services within the Department of Health and Human Services, ex officio;
D. The Director of the Health Care Crimes Unit within the Office of the Attorney General, ex officio;
E. The Director of Aging Planning and Resources Development within the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Elder and Adult Services, ex officio;
F. The Director of the Adult Protective Services program within the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Elder and Adult Services, ex officio;
G. The Director of Adult Mental Health Services within the Department of Health and Human Services, ex officio;
G-1 The director of the office providing adult developmental services to persons with intellectual disabilities or autism within the Department of Health and Human Services, ex officio;
H. The executive director of the long-term care ombudsman program, as established in Title 22, section 5106, subsection 11-C, ex officio;
H-1. A sexual assault nurse examiner within the Department of Health and Human Services;
I. A representative of victim services, appointed by the Attorney General;
J. A commanding officer of the Criminal Investigation Division within the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of the State Police, appointed by the Attorney General;
K. A prosecutor, nominated by a statewide association of prosecutors and appointed by the Attorney General;
L. A police chief, nominated by a statewide association of chiefs of police and appointed by the Attorney General;
M. A sheriff, nominated by a statewide association of sheriffs and appointed by the Attorney General;
N. A physician, a geriatrician or a primary care physician who works in the area of elder care, nominated by a statewide association of physicians and appointed by the Attorney General; and
O. An emergency medical services' person, nominated by a statewide association of emergency medical services professionals and appointed by the Attorney General.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §200-H, sub-§4-A  is enacted to read:

4-A Examination of deaths and serious injuries of persons with intellectual disabilities or autism.   In addition to any powers and duties described in subsection 4, the team shall examine all cases of deaths and serious injuries of persons with intellectual disabilities or autism as described in this subsection.
A The Office of the Attorney General shall conduct a preliminary examination of all cases of deaths and serious injuries of persons with intellectual disabilities or autism receiving adult developmental services, as defined in Title 34-B, section 1001, subsection 1-A, to determine which cases are referred to the team for further review. Cases must be referred to the team if any of the following circumstances exist:

(1) The death or serious injury was unexpected;

(2) Facts or circumstances that would indicate that the death or serious injury could have been prevented;

(3) Issues with the system of care described in Title 34-B, section 5003-A are implicated; or

(4) Other issues related to the case indicate the case should be reviewed.

B The team shall examine all cases of death and serious injury that are referred by the Office of the Attorney General pursuant to paragraph A. The purpose of the examination is to identify whether systems established to assist or protect persons with intellectual disabilities or autism from abuse and neglect were sufficient for the particular circumstances related to the death or serious injury or whether such systems require adjustment or improvement. The team shall recommend methods to the Attorney General and the Department of Health and Human Services for improving the system for protecting persons from abuse and neglect, including modification of statutes, rules, training and policies and procedures, and for services provided to persons with intellectual disabilities or autism receiving adult developmental services.

Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

ATTORNEY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE

Administration - Attorney General 0310

Initiative: Appropriates funds for the costs of one Attorney General Detective position to investigate all deaths and serious injuries of persons with intellectual disabilities or autism receiving adult developmental services and provides funding for related All Other costs.

GENERAL FUND 2017-18 2018-19
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
0.000 1.000
Personal Services
$0 $100,277
All Other
$0 $11,548
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $111,825

Human Services Division 0696

Initiative: Allocates funds for the costs of one Assistant Attorney General position and one Paralegal position to investigate all deaths and serious injuries of persons with intellectual disabilities or autism receiving adult developmental services and provides funding for related All Other costs.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2017-18 2018-19
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
0.000 2.000
Personal Services
$0 $177,571
All Other
$0 $23,095
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $200,666

ATTORNEY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2017-18 2018-19
GENERAL FUND
$0 $111,825
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
$0 $200,666
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 $312,491

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

Developmental Services - Community Z208

Initiative: Provides funding for increased legal services.

GENERAL FUND 2017-18 2018-19
All Other
$0 $200,666
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $200,666

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2017-18 2018-19
GENERAL FUND
$0 $200,666
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 $200,666

SECTION TOTALS 2017-18 2018-19
GENERAL FUND
$0 $312,491
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
$0 $200,666
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 $513,157

SUMMARY

This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, replaces the bill. It requires the Maine Elder Death Analysis Review Team created in the Office of the Attorney General to undertake an examination of all deaths and serious injuries of persons with intellectual disabilities or autism receiving adult developmental services from the Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of the Attorney General is required to examine all cases of death or serious injury and refer cases to the Maine Elder Death Analysis Review Team in which the death or serious injury was not expected or could have been prevented and cases for which there were system issues identified or there were other issues that indicate that a case should be reviewed. The team must identify whether systems that assist or protect persons receiving adult developmental services are sufficient for the particular circumstances or whether improvement is necessary. The team must recommend methods for improvement to the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health and Human Services. The amendment also adds the director of the office within the Department of Health and Human Services that provides adult developmental services to persons with intellectual disabilities or autism to the Maine Elder Death Analysis Review Team.

The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section.

FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)


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