§ 6961. Vermont Vulnerable Adult Fatality Review Team established

(a) Creation. There is created a Vermont Vulnerable Adult Fatality Review Team (Team) within the Office of the Attorney General for the following purposes:

(1) to examine select cases of abuse- and neglect-related fatalities and preventable deaths of vulnerable adults in Vermont;

(2) to identify system gaps and risk factors associated with those deaths;

(3) to educate the public, service providers, and policymakers about abuse- and neglect-related fatalities and preventable deaths of vulnerable adults and strategies for intervention; and

(4) to recommend legislation, rules, policies, procedures, practices, training, and coordination of services to promote interagency collaboration and prevent future abuse- and neglect-related fatalities.

(b)(1) Membership. The Team shall comprise the following members:

(A) the Attorney General or designee;

(B) the Commissioner of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living or designee;

(C) the Commissioner of Public Safety or designee;

(D) the Chief Medical Examiner or designee;

(E) the Assistant Director for Adult Protective Services in the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living or designee;

(F) the Adult Services Division Director in the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living or designee;

(G) the Director of the Vermont Office of Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention or designee;

(H) the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman;

(I) a representative of victim services, appointed by the Executive Director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services;

(J) the Director of the Center on Aging at the University of Vermont, or a gerontologist or geriatrician appointed by the Director;

(K) the Director of Disability Rights Vermont or designee;

(L) a hospital representative, appointed by the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems;

(M) a long-term care facility representative, appointed by the Vermont Health Care Association; and

(N) a home health agency representative, appointed jointly by the Vermont Association of Home Health Agencies and designated home health agencies that are not members of the Vermont Association of Home Health Agencies.

(2) The members of the Team specified in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall serve two-year terms. Any vacancy on the Team shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The replacement member shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(c) Meetings.

(1) The Attorney General or designee shall call the first meeting of the Team to occur on or before September 30, 2016.

(2) The Team shall select a chair and vice chair from among its members at the first meeting, and annually thereafter. The Vice Chair shall also serve as Secretary.

(3) The Team shall meet at such times as may reasonably be necessary to carry out its duties, but at least once in each calendar quarter. (Added 2015, No. 135 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)