(a) The purpose of each local team is to prevent drug overdose deaths by: (1) Promoting cooperation and coordination among agencies involved in investigations of drug overdose deaths or in providing services to surviving family members; (2) Developing an understanding of the causes and incidence of drug overdose deaths in the county; (3) Developing plans for and recommending changes within the agencies represented on the local team to prevent drug overdose deaths; and (4) Advising the Department on changes to law, policy, or practice, including the use of devices that are programmed to dispense medications on a schedule or similar technology, to prevent drug overdose deaths. (b) To achieve its purpose, each local team shall: (1) In consultation with the Department, establish and implement a protocol for the local team; (2) Set as its goal the investigation of drug overdose deaths in accordance with national standards; (3) Meet at least quarterly to review the status of drug overdose death cases and information on nonfatal overdoses, recommend actions to improve coordination of services and investigations among member agencies, and recommend actions within the member agencies to prevent drug overdose deaths; (4) Collect and maintain data as required by the Department; and (5) Provide requested reports to the Department, including: (i) Discussion of individual cases; (ii) Steps taken to improve coordination of services and investigations; (iii) Steps taken to implement changes recommended by the local team within member agencies; and (iv) Recommendations on needed changes to State and local laws, policies, or practices to prevent drug overdose deaths. (c) In addition to the duties specified in subsection (b) of this section, a local team may investigate the information and records of an individual convicted of a crime or adjudicated as having committed a delinquent act that caused a death or near fatality described in § 5-904 of this subtitle.
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