SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2011 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 632
Directing the Joint Commission on Health Care to study the costs of Shaken Baby Syndrome and abusive head trauma in Virginia and identify best practices in reducing the incidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome and abusive head trauma. Report.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 27, 2011
Agreed to by the Senate, February 22, 2011

 

WHEREAS, Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma is a form of inflicted head trauma occurring when a child is vigorously shaken; and

WHEREAS, Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma is the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the vast majority of victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma are infants younger than one year old; and

WHEREAS, the perpetrators in these cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma are most often parents or caregivers, most frequently male parents or caregivers; and

WHEREAS, children of families who live at or below the poverty level are at an increased risk for these injuries as well as any type of child abuse; and

WHEREAS, children who have suffered injuries associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma may require extremely expensive long-term health care and other services; and

WHEREAS, awareness, education, and training for parents and caregivers can reduce the risk that a child will be shaken and that a child will suffer injuries associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Joint Commission on Health Care be directed to study the costs of Shaken Baby Syndrome and abusive head trauma in Virginia and identify best practices in reducing the incidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome and abusive head trauma.

In conducting its study, the Joint Commission on Health Care shall work cooperatively with the Department of Health, the Department of Social Services, the Governor's Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Virginia Association of Children’s Homes, the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education, the National Association to PROTECT Children, Prevent Child Abuse Virginia, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the Commonwealth Midwives Alliance, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, and other stakeholders to (i) determine, to the degree practicable given existing data and information, the number of cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma among children in the Commonwealth; (ii) determine, to the degree practicable given existing data and information, the cost of cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma, including but not limited to costs directly attributable to initial and inpatient medical treatment for Shaken Baby Syndrome or abusive head trauma, and follow-up health care and social services over a period of 12 months immediately following initiation of medical treatment; (iii) identify evidence-based practices that have been shown to reduce the rate of occurrence of Shaken Baby Syndrome and abusive head trauma, including potential costs of those practices if implemented; and (iv) identify any potential source of grant funding or funding other than state general funds that may be used to pay the cost of implementing evidence-based practices as pilot programs for the prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and abusive head trauma in child care delivery settings in the Commonwealth.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Joint Commission on Health Care for this study, upon request.

The Joint Commission on Health Care shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2011, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2012 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the Joint Commission on Health Care intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.