(a) Membership.—1. The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee is established within the Department of Health and shall consist of a representative of the Department of Health, appointed by the State Surgeon General, who shall serve as the state committee coordinator. The head of each of the following agencies or organizations shall also appoint a representative to the state committee:a. The Department of Legal Affairs.
b. The Department of Children and Families.
c. The Department of Law Enforcement.
d. The Department of Education.
e. The Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, Inc.
f. The Florida Medical Examiners Commission, whose representative must be a forensic pathologist.
2. In addition, the State Surgeon General shall appoint the following members to the state committee, based on recommendations from the Department of Health and the agencies listed in subparagraph 1., and ensuring that the committee represents the regional, gender, and ethnic diversity of the state to the greatest extent possible:a. The Department of Health Statewide Child Protection Team Medical Director.
b. A public health nurse.
c. A mental health professional who treats children or adolescents.
d. An employee of the Department of Children and Families who supervises family services counselors and who has at least 5 years of experience in child protective investigations.
e. The medical director of a child protection team.
f. A member of a child advocacy organization.
g. A social worker who has experience in working with victims and perpetrators of child abuse.
h. A person trained as a paraprofessional in patient resources who is employed in a child abuse prevention program.
i. A law enforcement officer who has at least 5 years of experience in children’s issues.
j. A representative of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
k. A representative from a private provider of programs on preventing child abuse and neglect.
l. A substance abuse treatment professional.
3. The members of the state committee shall be appointed to staggered terms not to exceed 2 years each, as determined by the State Surgeon General. Members may be appointed to no more than three consecutive terms. The state committee shall elect a chairperson from among its members to serve for a 2-year term, and the chairperson may appoint ad hoc committees as necessary to carry out the duties of the committee.
4. Members of the state committee shall serve without compensation but may receive reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in s. 112.061 and to the extent that funds are available. (b) Duties.—The State Child Abuse Death Review Committee shall:1. Develop a system for collecting data from local committees on deaths that are reported to the central abuse hotline. The system must include a protocol for the uniform collection of data statewide, which must, at a minimum, use the National Child Death Review Case Reporting System administered by the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths.
2. Provide training to cooperating agencies, individuals, and local child abuse death review committees on the use of the child abuse death data system.
3. Provide training to local child abuse death review committee members on the dynamics and impact of domestic violence, substance abuse, or mental health disorders when there is a co-occurrence of child abuse. Training must be provided by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, and the Florida Council for Community Mental Health in each entity’s respective area of expertise.
4. Develop statewide uniform guidelines, standards, and protocols, including a protocol for standardized data collection and reporting, for local child abuse death review committees and provide training and technical assistance to local committees.
5. Develop statewide uniform guidelines for reviewing deaths that are the result of child abuse, including guidelines to be used by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, medical examiners, health care practitioners, health care facilities, and social service agencies.
6. Study the adequacy of laws, rules, training, and services to determine what changes are needed to decrease the incidence of child abuse deaths and develop strategies and recruit partners to implement these changes.
7. Provide consultation on individual cases to local committees upon request.
8. Educate the public regarding the provisions of chapter 99-168, Laws of Florida, the incidence and causes of child abuse death, and ways by which such deaths may be prevented.
9. Promote continuing education for professionals who investigate, treat, and prevent child abuse or neglect.
10. Recommend, when appropriate, the review of the death certificate of a child who died as a result of abuse or neglect.