SB 877: Reporting and tracking of violent deaths.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health, which is responsible for various programs relating to the health and safety of people in the state, including licensing health facilities, regulating food and drug safety, and monitoring and preventing communicable and chronic diseases.

This bill would, to the extent that funding is appropriated by the Legislature or available through private funds in each fiscal year, require the department to establish and maintain the California Electronic Violent Death Reporting System. The bill would further require the department to collect data on violent deaths, as specified, and to post on the departments Internet Web site a summary and analysis of the collected data. The bill would authorize the department to enter into a contract, grant, or other agreement with a local agency to collect certain data, within the agencys own jurisdiction or through other local agencies, as specified, and would authorize the department to apply for grants to implement these provisions. The bill would, to the extent that funding is available for this purpose, authorize a law enforcement agency to report to the department data on the circumstances surrounding all violent deaths from investigative reports and laboratory toxicology reports to be used by the department for the limited purpose of conducting public health surveillance and epidemiology. The bill would also make related legislative findings and declarations.