TITLE X
PUBLIC HEALTH

Chapter 126-R
NEW HAMPSHIRE COUNCIL ON SUICIDE PREVENTION

Section 126-R:1

    126-R:1 Definitions. –
In this chapter:
I. "Council" means the New Hampshire council on suicide prevention.
II. "Plan" means the New Hampshire suicide prevention plan.

Source. 2008, 265:2, eff. Aug. 25, 2008.

Section 126-R:2

    126-R:2 Council Established; Duties. – There is hereby established the New Hampshire council on suicide prevention to oversee the implementation of the New Hampshire suicide prevention plan. The council shall ensure the continued effectiveness of the plan by evaluating its implementation, producing progress reports, and recommending program changes, initiatives, funding opportunities, and new priorities to update the plan. The council shall also be a proponent for suicide prevention in New Hampshire.

Source. 2008, 265:2, eff. Aug. 25, 2008.

Section 126-R:3

    126-R:3 Membership of the Council. –
I. The members of the council shall be as follows:
(a) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(b) Two members of the house of representatives who shall be members of the health, human services and elderly affairs committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(c) The commissioner of the department of health and human services, or designee, appointed by the commissioner.
(d) The commissioner of the department of education, or designee.
(e) The commissioner of the department of safety, or designee, appointed by the commissioner.
(f) The commissioner of the department of corrections, or designee.
(g) The chief medical examiner, or designee.
(h) The adjutant general, or designee.
(i) A representative of the Injury Prevention Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, appointed by the president of the medical center.
(j) A representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, appointed by the alliance.
(k) A representative of the New Hampshire Disability Rights Center, appointed by the center.
(l) A member of the commission to develop a comprehensive state mental health plan, established by 2005, 175:15, appointed by the chairperson of the commission.
(m) A representative of the Bi-State Primary Care Association, appointed by the association.
(n) A representative of the Endowment for Health, appointed by the endowment.
(o) A representative of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, appointed by the association.
(p) A representative of the New Hampshire Community Behavioral Health Association, appointed by the association.
(q) A representative of New Futures, appointed by the organization.
(r) A person representing families who have lost a loved one to suicide, appointed by the governor.
(s) A person representing the youth community, appointed by the governor.
(t) A person representing the older adult community, appointed by the governor.
(u) A person representing the clergy, appointed by the governor.
(v) A physician, appointed by the New Hampshire Medical Society.
(w) A county corrections superintendent, appointed by the New Hampshire Association of Counties.
II. (a) The term of office for each member appointed under subparagraphs I(i)-(w) shall be 2 years, or until a successor is appointed and qualified in the case of a vacancy. The term of office for all other members shall be coterminous with the term of office for the position that qualifies that member to serve on the advisory council. A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner, but only for the unexpired term.
(b) The council shall, at its organizational meeting, elect a voting member to serve as chairperson for a 2-year term, or until a successor is elected and qualified. The council shall also elect a vice-chairperson and a clerk at the organizational meeting.
(c) No member shall receive any compensation for serving on the council, provided that the legislative members shall receive legislative mileage when in performance of their duties.
III. (a) To assist the council in the performance of its duties, the council chairperson shall create committees. The chairperson shall initially create committees to address the following issues:
(1) Education and training.
(2) Public policy.
(3) Communication and media.
(4) Professional practice.
(5) Data committee.
(6) Garrett Lee Smith advisory committee.
(7) Other special projects and programs.
(b) The chairperson shall appoint at least 2 council members to serve on each committee and shall designate a chairperson for each.
(c) Based upon recommendations from each committee, the council chairperson may appoint as many individuals as necessary to serve as adjunct members of each for a term of one year.
(d) Each committee shall:
(1) Develop its goals and objectives based on the plan.
(2) Identify program areas where improved coordination is needed.
IV. The council shall be administratively attached to the department of health and human services.
V. The first meeting of the council shall be called by the senate member. The first meeting of the council shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this chapter. Fourteen members of the council shall constitute a quorum. The council shall meet at least 4 times each year and may convene public hearings as necessary to promote the goals of the council. The council shall submit an annual report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate by November 1 of each year regarding the activities of the council. The first annual report shall be due November 1, 2008. The annual report shall identify and prioritize unmet needs for prevention, intervention, and activities to prevent contagion and promote healing following a suicide death (postvention); indicate the progress, or lack thereof in addressing the plan; recommend initiatives to address the unmet needs in the plan; and specify the resources and any legislation necessary to support existing programs for prevention, intervention, and postvention and to develop, implement, support, and evaluate the initiatives recommended by the council.

Source. 2008, 265:2, eff. Aug. 25, 2008.

Section 126-R:4

    126-R:4 Suicide Fatality Review Committee Established. –
I. There is hereby established the suicide fatality review committee, which shall be a committee of the council on suicide prevention established in RSA 126-R:2.
II. The council shall appoint members and alternate members to the suicide facility review committee. The members of the committee shall include the chief medical examiner, or his or her designee, individuals representing the health care field, organizations with expertise in suicide prevention, mental health, and substance abuse treatment and prevention, law enforcement, injury prevention, organizations or individuals who advocate for individuals and families with mental illness, survivors of suicide, and such other members as the council determines will assist the committee in fulfilling its objectives.
III. The committee shall adopt a protocol defining which suicide deaths, as determined by the office of the chief medical examiner, shall be reported to the committee and subject to review, and which suicide deaths may be screened out for review. The committee may also review deaths which are ruled as accidental which may inform suicide prevention efforts. The committee shall not review any case where there is pending litigation. The committee may establish different levels of review, such as comprehensive or more limited review, depending on the nature of the incident or the purpose of the review.
IV. The committee shall:
(a) Review suicide deaths in New Hampshire to determine trends, risk factors, and prevention strategies.
(b) Determine and report on trends and patterns of suicide deaths in New Hampshire.
(c) Identify and evaluate the prevalence of risk factors for preventable deaths in New Hampshire.
(d) Evaluate and report on high risk factors, current practices, gaps in systematic responses, and barriers to safety and well-being for individuals at risk for suicide in New Hampshire.
(e) Recommend improvements in the sources of data relative to investigating reported suicide deaths and preventing suicide.
V. Records of the committee, including testimony by persons participating in or appearing before the committee and deliberations by committee members relating to the review of any death, shall be confidential and privileged and shall be protected from direct or indirect means of discovery, subpoena, or admission into evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding. However, information, documents, or records otherwise available from original sources shall not be construed as immune from discovery from the original sources or used in any such civil or administrative action merely because they were presented to the committee, and any person who appears before the committee or supplies information as part of a committee review, or who is a member of the committee, may not be prevented from testifying as to matters within his or her knowledge, but such witness may not be asked about his or her statements before the committee, participation as a member of the committee, or opinions formed by him or her or any other member of the committee, as a result of participation in a review conducted by the committee.
VI. The suicide fatality review committee shall consult and collaborate with the existing fatality review committees as appropriate.
VII. The committee shall report annually to the council, on or before the first day of September, beginning September 1, 2011, describing any trends and patterns of deaths or serious injuries or risk factors together with any recommendations for changes in law, policy, and practice that will prevent suicide deaths and related serious occurrences. The committee may also issue special reports when doing so is necessary to alert authorities or the public to the need for prompt corrective action.
VIII. The meetings and records of the committee shall be exempt from the provisions of RSA 91-A. The committee's reports shall not include any private or privileged information. Members of the committee may be required to sign a confidentiality agreement that prohibits any unauthorized dissemination of information disclosed to the committee.
IX. Members shall be appointed within 30 days of the effective date of this section, and the first meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the council, or his or her designee, within 45 days of the effective date of this section.

Source. 2010, 109:1, eff. July 31, 2010.