Code of the District of Columbia

§ 4–1371.06. 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’s purpose and duties, the Committee shall be provided, without cost and without authorization of the persons to whom the information or records relate, access to:

(1) All information and records of any District of Columbia agency, or their contractors, including, but not limited to, birth and death certificates, law enforcement investigation data, unexpurgated juvenile and adult arrest records, intellectual and developmental disabilities records, medical examiner investigation data and autopsy reports, parole and probation information and records, school records, and information records of social services, housing, and health agencies that provided services to the child, the child’s family, or an alleged perpetrator whose acts led to the death of the child.

(2) All information and records (including information on prenatal care) of any private health-care providers located in the District of Columbia, including providers of mental health services who provided services to the deceased child, the deceased child’s family, or the alleged perpetrator whose acts led to the death of the child.

(3) All information and records of any private child welfare agency, educational facility or institution, or child care provider doing business in the District of Columbia who provided services to the deceased child, the deceased child’s immediate family, or the alleged perpetrator whose acts led to the death of the child.

(4) Information made confidential by §§ 4-1302.03, 4-1303.06, § 7-231.24, 7-1203.02, 7-1305.12, 16-2331, 16-2332, 16-2333, 16-2335, and 31-3426.

(b) The Committee shall have the authority to seek information from entities and agencies outside the District of Columbia by any legal means.

(c) Repealed.

(d) Repealed.

(d-1) The Committee may conduct voluntary parental interviews as part of the fatality review process to identify and characterize the scope and nature of the child death.

(e) All records and information obtained by the Committee pursuant to subsections (a), (b), and (d-1) of this section pertaining to the deceased child or any other individual shall be destroyed following the preparation of the final Committee 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.