D.C. Act 23-137. Investigating Maternal Mortalities Emergency Amendment Act of 2019.

AN ACT

To amend, on an emergency basis, the Establishment of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Act of 2000 to require the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to investigate all maternal mortalities occurring in the District of Columbia.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Investigating Maternal Mortalities Emergency Amendment Act of 2019".

Sec. 2. Section 2906 of the Establishment of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Act of 2000, effective October 19, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-172; D.C. Official Code § 5-1405), is amended as follows:

(a) Subsection (b) is amended as follows:

(1) Paragraph (11) is amended by striking the phrase "; and" and inserting a semicolon in its place.

(2) Paragraph (12) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase "; and" in its place.

(3) A new paragraph (13) is added to read as follows:

"(13) All maternal mortalities.".

(b) A new subsection (b-1) is added to read as follows:

"(b-1) For the purposes of subsection (b) of this section, the term:

"(1) "Maternal mortalities" means pregnancy-associated deaths and pregnancy-related deaths, as those terms are defined in section 2(4) and (5) of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee Establishment Act of 2018, effective June 5, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-111; D.C. Official Code § 7-671.01(4) and (5)), and deaths resulting from severe maternal morbidity.

"(2) "Severe maternal morbidity" means one of the following outcomes of labor and delivery that results in short-term or long-term consequences to a woman's health:

"(A) Acute myocardial infarction;

"(B) Acute renal failure;

"(C) Adult respiratory distress syndrome;

"(D) Air and thrombotic embolism;

"(E) Amniotic fluid embolism;

"(F) Anesthesia complications;

"(G) Aneurysm;

"(H) Blood products transfusion;

"(I) Cardiac arrest/ventricular fibrillation;

"(J) Conversion of cardiac rhythm;

"(K) Disseminated intravascular coagulation;

"(L) Eclampsia;

"(M) Heart failure/arrest during surgery or procedure;

"(N) Hysterectomy;

"(O) Puerperal cerebrovascular disorders;

"(P) Pulmonary edema/acute heart failure;

"(Q) Sepsis;

"(R) Shock;

"(S) Sickle cell disease with crisis;

"(T) Temporary tracheostomy; or

"(U) Ventilation.".

Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 4. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).