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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill addresses reviews of an overdose or suicide-related fatality.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 ▸ requires the overdose fatality examiner and psychological autopsy examiner to:
14 • request discharge information from a health care facility or treatment program if
15 the deceased died within a certain time period after release; and
16 • develop and distribute a form to be used to obtain the discharge information;
17 and
18 ▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
19 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20 None
21 Other Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Utah Code Sections Affected:
24 AMENDS:
25 26-4-28.5, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2017, Chapter 346
26 26-4-30, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 201
27
28 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
29 Section 1. Section 26-4-28.5 is amended to read:
30 26-4-28.5. Psychological autopsy examiner.
31 (1) [
32 department shall provide compensation, at a standard rate determined by the department, to a
33 psychological autopsy examiner.
34 (2) The psychological autopsy examiner shall:
35 (a) work with the medical examiner to compile data regarding suicide related deaths;
36 (b) as relatives of the deceased are willing, gather information from relatives of the
37 deceased regarding the psychological reasons for the [
38 (c) maintain a database of information described in Subsections (2)(a) and (b);
39 (d) in accordance with all applicable privacy laws subject to approval by the
40 department, share the database described in Subsection (2)(c) with the University of Utah
41 Department of Psychiatry or other university-based departments conducting research on
42 suicide;
43 (e) coordinate no less than monthly with the suicide prevention coordinator described
44 in Subsection 62A-15-1101(2); [
45 (f) coordinate no less than quarterly with the state suicide prevention coalition[
46 (g) if the psychological autopsy examiner determines the deceased was discharged
47 from a health care facility or mental health treatment program within 30 days before the day on
48 which the deceased died, request information from the health care facility or mental health
49 treatment program regarding the deceased's discharge plan; and
50 (h) develop a form to obtain the information described in Subsection (2)(g) that
51 includes:
52 (i) a place for a description of:
53 (A) the deceased's condition upon arrival at the health care facility or mental health
54 treatment program;
55 (B) the reason for the deceased's visit to the health care facility or mental health
56 treatment program;
57 (C) the deceased's length of stay at the health care facility or mental health treatment
58 program; and
59 (D) the deceased's condition upon discharge from the health care facility or mental
60 health treatment program;
61 (ii) an indication of:
62 (A) whether the deceased had a discharge plan upon discharge from the health care
63 facility or mental health treatment program;
64 (B) whether the deceased's discharge plan included mental health treatment; and
65 (C) if the deceased's discharge plan included mental health treatment, whether the
66 health care facility or mental health treatment program took steps to ensure the deceased had
67 access to mental health treatment upon discharge; and
68 (iii) distribute the form described in Subsection (2)(h) to health care facilities and
69 mental health treatment programs in the state.
70 Section 2. Section 26-4-30 is amended to read:
71 26-4-30. Overdose fatality examiner.
72 (1) Within funds appropriated by the Legislature, the department shall provide
73 compensation, at a standard rate determined by the department, to an overdose fatality
74 examiner.
75 (2) The overdose fatality examiner shall:
76 (a) work with the medical examiner to compile data regarding overdose and opioid
77 related deaths, including:
78 (i) toxicology information;
79 (ii) demographics; and
80 (iii) the source of opioids or drugs;
81 (b) as relatives of the deceased are willing, gather information from relatives of the
82 deceased regarding the circumstances of the decedent's death;
83 (c) maintain a database of information described in Subsections (2)(a) and (b);
84 (d) coordinate no less than monthly with the suicide prevention coordinator described
85 in Section 62A-15-1101; [
86 (e) coordinate no less than quarterly with the Opioid and Overdose Fatality Review
87 Committee created in Section 26-7-13[
88 (f) if the overdose fatality examiner determines the deceased was discharged from a
89 health care facility or substance use treatment program within 30 days before the day on which
90 the deceased died, request information from the health care facility or substance use treatment
91 program regarding the deceased's discharge plan;
92 (g) develop a form to obtain the information described in Subsection (2)(f) that
93 includes:
94 (i) a place for a description of:
95 (A) the deceased's condition upon arrival at the health care facility or substance use
96 treatment program;
97 (B) the reason for the deceased's visit to the health care facility or substance use
98 treatment program;
99 (C) the deceased's length of stay at the health care facility or substance use treatment
100 program; and
101 (D) the deceased's condition upon discharge from the health care facility or substance
102 use treatment program; and
103 (ii) an indication of:
104 (A) whether the deceased had a discharge plan upon discharge from the health care
105 facility or substance use treatment program;
106 (B) whether the deceased's discharge plan included substance use disorder treatment;
107 and
108 (C) if the deceased's discharge plan included substance use disorder treatment, whether
109 the health care facility or substance use treatment program took steps to ensure the deceased
110 had access to substance use disorder treatment upon discharge; and
111 (h) distribute the form described in Subsection (2)(g) to health care facilities and
112 substance use treatment programs in the state.