2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 5 - Police, Firefighters, Medical Examiner, and Forensic Sciences › Chapter 14A - Fatality Review Committee › § 5–1431.03. Access to information

§ 5–1431.03. Access to information.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, immediately upon the request of the Committee and as necessary to carry out the Committee purpose and duties, the Committee shall be provided, without cost and without authorization of the persons to whom the information or records relate to, access to:
(1) All information and records of:
(A) Any District agency, or a District agency's contractors, including birth and death certificates, law enforcement investigation data, unexpurgated juvenile delinquency records and adult criminal records, intellectual and developmental disabilities records, autopsy reports, parole and probation information and records, school records, and records of human services, behavioral health, housing; and
(B) Health agencies that provided services to the victim, the victim's family, or an alleged or suspected perpetrator whose acts led to the death of the victim;
(2) All information and records of any healthcare providers located in the District, including providers of health and mental health services who provided services to the deceased victim, the deceased victim's family, or the alleged or suspected perpetrator whose acts led to the death of the victim;
(3) All information and records of any public or private child welfare agency, educational facility or institution, or child care provider doing business in the District who provided services to the victim, the victim's family, or the alleged or suspected perpetrator whose acts led to the death of the victim; and
(4) Information made confidential by § 4-1302.03 or § 4-1303.06, § 7-231.24(n), § 7-1203.02, § 7-1305.12, §§ 16-2331, 16-2332, 16-2333, and 16-2335, and § 31-3426.
(b) The Committee may seek information from entities and agencies outside the District by any legal means available to it.
(c)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1) of this section, information and records concerning a current law enforcement investigation may be withheld, at the discretion of the investigating authority, if disclosure of the information would compromise a criminal investigation or prosecution.
(2) If information or records are withheld under paragraph (1) of this section, a report on the status of the investigation shall be submitted to the Committee by the investigating authority every 3 months until the earliest of the following events occurs:
(A) The investigation is concluded and the information or records are provided to the Committee; or
(B) The investigating authority determines that providing the information will no longer compromise the investigation and the information or records are provided to the Committee.
(d) All records and information obtained by the Committee pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section pertaining to a deceased victim or any other individual shall be destroyed immediately following the preparation of the Committee's annual report. All additional information concerning a review, except statistical data, shall be destroyed by the Committee one year after publication of the Committee's annual report.
(Oct. 30, 2018, D.C. Law 22-168, § 3044, 65 DCR 9388.)
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 3044 of Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 22-458, Oct. 3, 2018, 65 DCR 11212).
For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 3044 of Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 22-434, July 30, 2018, 65 DCR 8200).