(20 ILCS 515/40)

Sec. 40. Illinois Child Death Review Teams Executive Council.

(a) The Illinois Child Death Review Teams Executive Council, consisting of the chairpersons of the 9 child death review teams in Illinois, is the coordinating and oversight body for child death review teams and activities in Illinois. The vice-chairperson of a child death review team, as designated by the chairperson, may serve as a back-up member or an alternate member of the Executive Council, if the chairperson of the child death review team is unavailable to serve on the Executive Council. The Inspector General of the Department, ex officio, is a non-voting member of the Executive Council. The Inspector General of the Department may appoint to the Executive Council any additional ex-officio members deemed necessary. Persons with expertise needed by the Executive Council may be invited to meetings. The Executive Council must select from its members a chairperson and a vice-chairperson, each to serve a 2-year, renewable term.

The Executive Council must meet at least 4 times during each calendar year. At each such meeting, in addition to any other matters under consideration, the Executive Council shall review all replies and reports received from the Director pursuant to subsections (d), (e), and (f) of Section 20 since the Executive Council's previous meeting. The Executive Council's review must include consideration of the Director's proposed manner of and schedule for implementing each recommendation made by a child death review team.

(b) The Department must provide or arrange for the staff support necessary for the Executive Council to carry out its duties. This includes a full-time Executive Director and support staff person. The Inspector General of the Department, in cooperation and consultation with the Executive Council, shall appoint, reappoint, and remove team members. In the event of a disagreement, the Executive Council's decision shall control. From funds available, the Director may select from a list of 2 or more candidates recommended by the Executive Council to serve as the Child Death Review Teams Executive Director. The Child Death Review Teams Executive Director shall oversee the operations of the child death review teams and shall report directly to the Executive Council.

(c) The Executive Council has, but is not limited to, the following duties:

(1) To serve as the voice of child death review teams in Illinois.

(2) To oversee the regional teams in order to ensure that the teams' work is coordinated and in compliance with the statutes and the operating protocol.

(3) To ensure that the data, results, findings, and recommendations of the teams are adequately used to make any necessary changes in the policies, procedures, and statutes in order to protect children in a timely manner.

(4) To collaborate with the General Assembly, the Department, and others in order to develop any legislation needed to prevent child fatalities and to protect children.

(5) To assist in the development of quarterly and annual reports based on the work and the findings of the teams.

(6) To ensure that the regional teams' review processes are standardized in order to convey data, findings, and recommendations in a usable format.

(7) To serve as a link with child death review teams throughout the country and to participate in national child death review team activities.

(8) To develop an annual statewide symposium to update the knowledge and skills of child death review team members and to promote the exchange of information between teams.

(9) To provide the child death review teams with the most current information and practices concerning child death review and related topics.

(10) To perform any other functions necessary to enhance the capability of the child death review teams to reduce and prevent child injuries and fatalities.

(c-5) The Executive Council shall prepare an annual report. The report must include, but need not be limited to, (i) each recommendation made by a child death review team pursuant to item (5) of subsection (b) of Section 20 during the period covered by the report, (ii) the Director's proposed schedule for implementing each such recommendation, and (iii) a description of the specific changes in the Department's policies and procedures that have been made in response to the recommendation. The Executive Council shall send a copy of its annual report to each of the following:

(1) The Governor.

(2) Each member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, county coroners and medical examiners, and State's Attorneys, in the sole discretion of the Executive Council.

(3) Each member of each child death review team in the State.

(d) In any instance when a child death review team does not operate in accordance with established protocol, the Director, in consultation and cooperation with the Executive Council, must take any necessary actions to bring the team into compliance with the protocol.

(Source: P.A. 100-1122, eff. 11-27-18.)