(a) The state child fatality review team and its members shall have access to all information and records to which the state medical examiner has access under this chapter. The state child fatality review team and its members shall maintain the confidentiality of information and records concerning deaths under review, except when disclosures may be necessary to enable the team to carry out its duties under this chapter. However, the team and its members may not disclose a record that is confidential under federal or state law.
Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 12.65.140
action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
Testify: Answer questions in court.
Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
(b) Except for public reports issued by the team, records and other information collected by the team or a member of the team related to duties under this chapter are confidential and not subject to public disclosure under Alaska Stat. § 40.25.100 – 40.25.295 (Alaska Public Records Act).(c) Meetings of the state child fatality review team are closed to the public and are not subject to the provisions of Alaska Stat. § 44.62.310 – 44.62.319 (Open Meetings Act).(d) The determinations, conclusions, and recommendations of the state child fatality review team, or its members, are not admissible in a civil or criminal proceeding. Members may not be compelled to disclose their determinations, conclusions, recommendations, discussions, or thought processes through discovery or testimony in any civil or criminal proceeding. Records and information collected by the state child fatality review team are not subject to discovery or subpoena in connection with a civil or criminal proceeding.(e) Notwithstanding (d) of this section, the state medical examiner may testify in a civil or criminal proceeding even though the death was reviewed by the state child fatality review team under Alaska Stat. § 12.65.130 and information received from the review formed a basis of the state medical examiner’s testimony.(f) A person who is a member or an employee of, or who furnishes services to or advises, the state child fatality review team is not liable for damages or other relief in an action brought by reason of the performance of a duty, a function, or an activity of the review team.
