In this subtitle, “State team” means the Maryland Suicide Fatality Review Committee.

There is a Maryland Suicide Fatality Review Committee, also referred to as the State team. The purpose of the State team is to identify and address the factors contributing to suicide deaths and facilitate system changes in the State to prevent suicide deaths. The State team shall include the following members, who shall serve on an ex officio basis: The Secretary, or the Secretary’s designee; The Deputy Secretary of the Behavioral Health Administration, or the Deputy Secretary’s designee; and The Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Suicide Prevention. The Secretary may include in the State team the Chief Medical Examiner, or the Chief Medical Examiner’s designee. The Secretary may include the following members in the State team, as designated by the Secretary: A suicidologist or an academic with a specialty in the study and prevention of suicide; One representative of health care providers; One representative of an organization having expertise in suicide prevention; One representative of an organization having expertise in the treatment and prevention of substance abuse; One representative of an organization that advocates for individuals with mental illness; One representative of law enforcement or correctional services; and Any additional members determined to be necessary by the Secretary to carry out the purpose of this subtitle, which may include representatives from relevant disciplines and relevant community–based organizations. The State team shall elect the chair of the State team by a majority vote. The Department shall provide staff for the State team. All members of the State team shall be voting members. Each member designated under subsection (c)(3) of this section shall serve on the State team for a term of 3 years and may be reappointed. At the end of a term, a member designated under subsection (c)(3) of this section continues to serve until a successor is appointed. All vacancies shall be filled by the designating authority in accordance with this section. A member of the State team: May not receive compensation for service on the State team; but Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. To the extent that funds are available, the State team may hire staff or consultants to assist the State team in carrying out its duties.

The State team shall: Meet at least quarterly to review suicide deaths, consistent with the requirements of this subtitle; Make determinations regarding: The following issues related to individuals at risk for suicide: Trends; Risk factors; Current best practices in suicide prevention; Lapses in systemic responses; and Barriers to safety and well–being; and Strategies for the prevention of suicide deaths; Report at least annually to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly on: The State team’s activities; and The State team’s recommendations on: Changing any law or policy in a manner that would promote the prevention of suicide deaths; and Improving the availability of sources of information relating to the investigation of reported suicide fatalities; Undertake annual statistical studies of: The incidents and causes of suicide mortality in the State; and Trends and patterns of suicide deaths in the State; and Disseminate findings and recommendations based on the studies conducted under item (4) of this subsection to policymakers, health care providers, health care facilities, and the public. The State team may periodically make available, in a general manner that does not reveal confidential information about individual cases, only the aggregate findings of the State team’s reviews and their recommendations for preventive actions.

A person shall have the immunity from liability under § 5–637 of the Courts Article for any action as a member of the State team or for giving information to, participating in, or contributing to the function of the State team.

The State team is a public health authority, as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 164.501, conducting public health activities in accordance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. On request of the chair of the State team and as necessary to carry out the State team’s purpose and duties, a health care provider or a State or local government agency immediately shall provide to the State team any records of the health care provider or State or local government agency necessary to complete the review of a specific fatality, including: Hospital records; Outpatient clinic, health care provider, and laboratory records; Police investigation data; Medical examiner investigative data; Cause–of–death information in vital records; Social services records; and Other records from State offices, agencies, and departments. The State team may request that a person with direct knowledge of circumstances surrounding a fatality provide the State team with information necessary to complete the review of the particular fatality, including information from: A health care provider or staff involved in the care of the decedent; and The person who first responded to a report concerning the decedent. The State team: May share information with other public health authorities or their designees as the State team determines necessary to carry out the purposes of this subtitle; and Shall coordinate with the State’s Child Fatality Review and Drug Overdose Fatality Review teams to share and receive information relevant to the State team’s findings and to ensure efficiency in the work of the teams. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, all information and records acquired by the State team in the exercise of its duties: Shall be confidential; Shall be exempt from disclosure under the Public Information Act; and May not be subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any proceedings. Information may be disclosed as necessary and in a manner consistent with this subtitle to carry out the purposes of this subtitle. Mental health records are subject to the additional limitations under § 4–307 of this article for disclosure of a medical record developed primarily in connection with the provision of mental health services.

Meetings of the State team shall be closed to the public and are not subject to the Open Meetings Act. A member of the State team or an attendee of a State team meeting may not: Release to the public or the news media information discussed at meetings; or Except as provided in § 5–1007 of this subtitle, testify in any proceeding about details of a State team meeting, including any information presented at the meeting, or about opinions formed by the individual because of the meeting. Each member of the State team and any attendee of a meeting of the State team shall sign a statement indicating an understanding of and adherence to the State team’s confidentiality requirements, including any potential civil or criminal consequences for a breach of confidentiality under this section.

This subtitle may not be construed to prohibit a person from: Testifying in a civil or criminal action about matters that occurred in a State team meeting if the testimony will be based on the person’s independent knowledge; or Investigating or reviewing a suicide death under any other provision of law.

The Department may adopt regulations to carry out this subtitle, including regulations on: The procedures by which health care providers, health care facilities, and other persons identify and report suicide deaths to the Department or as directed by the Department; The protocols, procedures, methods, manner, and extent of all investigations and reviews by the State team; and The manner in and extent to which information shall be disseminated under this subtitle.

This subtitle may be cited as the Maryland Suicide Mortality Review and Prevention Act.