Duties

1. The panel shall review death certificates of all children whose deaths occurred in North Dakota. Deaths of children which are sudden, unexpected, or unexplained shall receive an indepth review. 2. The department of human services and the state department of health shall collaborate in the review of child deaths. The vital records division of the state department of health shall provide death certificates for children under the age of eighteen to the panel. 3. The panel shall provide an indepth review of child deaths identified on the death certificate as: a. Accident; b. Suicide; c. Homicide; d. Pending investigation; or e. Could not be determined. 4. When a child's manner of death is identified as "natural" or no manner of death is identified on the death certificate, the panel will determine whether the cause or condition of death was sudden, unexpected, or unexplained. 5. The panel shall review only the death certificate when a child's death is identified as "natural" and does not fall within the criteria identified in subsection 4, unless a panel member specifically requests an indepth review. 6. A decision reached by the panel represents the consensus of the panel, but not necessarily the opinion of an individual member. A decision of the panel may not be considered as an expert opinion in a criminal or civil case.