*NOTE: This section has been amended by emergency legislation with identical permanent legislation that will become effective in January, 2022.*
(a) The Committee shall be responsible for reviewing all deaths of children who were residents of the District of Columbia, and with particular attention, such children who, or whose families, at the time of death:
(1) Or at any point during the 2 years prior to the child’s death, were known to the juvenile justice or intellectual disability or developmental disabilities systems of the District of Columbia; and
(2) Or at any point during the 4 years prior to the child’s death, were known to the child welfare system of the District of Columbia.
(b) The Committee may review the deaths of nonresidents if the death is determined to be accidental or unexpected and occurs within the District.
(c) The Committee's manner of review shall be to conduct a multidisciplinary, multi-agency review of all individual fatalities within 6 months after the final determination of the cause and manner of death and prioritize fatalities where child abuse, neglect, or another form of child maltreatment is the cause of death or a contributing factor.
(d) The Committee shall establish at least 2 review teams to conduct its review of child fatalities. The Infant Mortality Review Team shall review the deaths of children under the age of one year and the Child Fatality Review Team shall review the deaths of children over the age of one year. Each team may include designated public officials with responsibilities for child and juvenile welfare from each of the agencies and entities listed in § 4-1371.04.
(e) Repealed.
(Oct. 3, 2001, D.C. Law 14-28, § 4605, 48 DCR 6981; Apr. 12, 2005, D.C. Law 15-341, § 4, 52 DCR 2315; Sept. 26, 2012, D.C. Law 19-169, § 11(b), 59 DCR 5567; Aug. 23, 2021, D.C. Act 24-159, § 3073(c), 68 DCR 008602.)
Section ReferencesThis section is referenced in § 4-1371.09.
Effect of AmendmentsD.C. Law 15-341 rewrote subsec. (a) which had read as follows: “(a) The Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the deaths of children who were residents of the District of Columbia and of such children who, or whose families, at the time of death, or at any point during the 2 years prior to the child’s death, were known to the child welfare, juvenile justice, or mental retardation or developmental disabilities systems of the District of Columbia.”
The 2012 amendment by D.C. Law 19-169 substituted “intellectual disability” for “mental retardation” in (a)(1); and substituted “intellectual or developmental disabilities systems” for “mental retardation/developmental disabilities system” in (e)(2).
Emergency LegislationFor temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3073(c) of Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-159, Aug. 23, 2021, 68 DCR 008602).
For temporary (90 day) addition of section, see § 5 of Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-40, April 25, 2001, 48 DCR 5917).
For temporary (90 day) addition of section, see § 5 of Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Legislative Review Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-82, July 9, 2001, 48 DCR 6355).
Temporary LegislationFor temporary (225 day) addition of section, see § 2 of Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Temporary Act of 2001 (D.C. Law 14-20, September 6, 2001, law notification 48 DCR 9090).
Editor's NotesSection 35 of D.C. Law 19-169 provided that no provision of the act shall impair any right or obligation existing under law.