D.C. Act 25-691. Child and Family Services Agency Investigation Completion Amendment Act of 2024.

AN ACT

To amend the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Act to extend the timeframe for completing an investigation into suspected child abuse and neglect to 45 days, unless the investigation involves a report of a child fatality, sex trafficking, or abuse or neglect occurring in an institutional setting, in which case the timeframe shall be extended to 60 days, and to remove the practice of conducting family assessments.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Child and Family Services Agency Investigation Completion Amendment Act of 2024".

Sec. 2. Title I of the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Act of 1977, effective September 23, 1977 (D.C. Law 2-22; D.C. Official Code § 4-1301.01 et seq.), is amended as follows:

(a) Section 102(9A) (D.C. Official Code 4-1301.02(9A)) is repealed.

(b) Section 104 (D.C. Official Code 4-1301.04) is amended as follows:

(1) Subsection (a) is amended to read as follows:

"(a) The Agency shall conduct a thorough investigation of a report of suspected child abuse or neglect to protect the health and safety of the child or children.".

(2) Subsection (b) is amended follows:

(A) Paragraph (1) is amended by striking the phrase "neglect or a referral for investigation following a family assessment" and inserting the word "neglect" in its place.

(B) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase "report or a referral for investigation following a family assessment" and inserting the word "report" in its place.

(3) Subsection(c)(3)(G) is amended to read as follows:

"(G) A finding as to whether the report of abuse or neglect is substantiated, inconclusive, or unfounded.".

(4) Subsection(e)(2) is repealed.

(c) Section 106(a) (D.C. Official Code § 4-1301.06(a)) is amended to read as follows:

"(a) The full investigation shall be completed no more than 45 days after the receipt of the first notice of the suspected abuse or neglect; except, that the full investigation shall be completed no more than 60 days after the receipt of the first notice of the suspected abuse or neglect if the investigation involves:

"(1) A child fatality;

"(2) Abuse or neglect in a foster home, group home, or licensed day care facility;

"(3) Sex trafficking or a severe form of trafficking in persons, as those terms are defined in section 103(12) and (11)(A) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, approved October 28, 2000 (114 Stat. 1469; 22 U.S.C. § 7102(12) and (11)(A)), respectively;

"(4) A commercial sex act, as that term is defined in section 101(4) of the Prohibition Against Human Trafficking Amendment Act of 2010, effective October 23, 2010 (D.C. Law 18-239; D.C. Official Code § 22-1831(4)); or

"(5) Sex trafficking of children, as described in section 104 of the Prohibition Against Human Trafficking Amendment Act of 2010, effective October 23, 2010 (D.C. Law 18-239; D.C. Official Code § 22-1834).".

Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 4. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)).