ELDERLY/VULNERABLE ADULT DEATH REVIEW S.B. 457 (S-1):
FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 457 (Substitute S-1 as reported)
Sponsor: Senator Patrick J. Colbeck
Committee: Families, Seniors, and Human Services
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 181 of 1953, which involves investigations of the causes of death in certain instances, to do the following:
-- Authorize a county medical examiner to establish an elderly and vulnerable adult death review team and develop protocols for it to use.
-- Require a medical examiner to investigate the cause and manner of death if an elderly or vulnerable adult died and the medical examiner determined that the death was suspicious or appeared to have been caused by abuse or neglect; and allow the medical examiner to report the case to the review team.
-- Allow a county medical examiner to refer the case to the review team for a preliminary investigation if he or she received notice from a physician or another person that an elderly or vulnerable adult died unexpectedly or under suspicious circumstances.
-- Provide that information obtained by a review team would be confidential and could be disclosed only to the medical examiner, the county prosecutor's office, local law enforcement, or another review team.
A review team would have to consist of the county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner, physicians and other health care professionals specializing in geriatric medicine, physicians and other health care professionals employed by long-term care facilities, members of relevant State and local law enforcement agencies, the county prosecutor's office, and members representing the Department of Human Services who were involved with issues regarding adult protective services, adult foster care homes, and homes for the aged. A review team also could include others designated by the team, including members representing the long-term care ombudsman program, community mental health, and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs who were involved with the licensing and regulation of long-term care facilities.
MCL 52.201c et al. Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no impact on local unit revenue, but could increase expenditures in local units by an unknown, and likely minimal, amount. Expenses could be increased to the extent that additional investigations occurring as a result of the bill increased operational expenses of the county medical examiner, such as by requiring additional staff and/or equipment, and/or if elderly death review team members were to receive per diem compensation or reimbursement for any expenses.
The bill would have no impact on State revenue or expenditure.
Date Completed: 10-24-11 Fiscal Analyst: David Zin
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb457/1112