§ 5–1431.01. Establishment and duties.

(a) There is established a Violence Fatality Review Committee ("Committee") within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ("OCME"). The OCME shall provide facilities, staffing, and other administrative support for the Committee.

(b) The Committee shall evaluate homicides and suicides.

(1) Identifying and characterizing the scope and nature of homicides and suicides;

(2) Coordinating with other District fatality review entities to minimize duplication of efforts;

(3) Describing and recording any data or patterns that are observed surrounding homicides and suicides;

(4) Performing a retrospective review of socioeconomic determinant risk and protective factors surrounding homicides and suicides;

(5) Developing and revising, as necessary, operating rules and procedures for review of homicides and suicides, including identification of cases to be reviewed, establishment of sub-committees as necessary, and improvement of the identification, data collection, and record keeping of the causes of homicides and suicides;

(6) Recommending systemic improvements to prevent and respond to homicides and suicides;

(7) Recommending policies for improved access to employment, healthcare, mental and behavioral healthcare, housing, and education programs; and

(8) Recommending training to improve the prevention of homicides and suicides and to identify risk factors and develop protective factors in the individual, family, and community response to violence.

(d)(1) By July 1 of each year, the Committee shall make publicly available and submit to the Council and Mayor an annual report of its findings, recommendations, and steps taken to evaluate the implementation of past recommendations, which includes the following information:

(A) A description of the causes of and contributing factors to the homicides and suicides the Committee reviewed during the preceding calendar year;

(B) A description of the state of homicides and suicides, including statistics; and

(2) If a recommendation in the annual report is directed at a particular subordinate agency, the head of the subordinate agency shall respond in writing to the Committee within 30 days after the issuance of the annual report, describing the subordinate agency's plans to address the recommendation.

(3) The annual report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not contain any personally identifiable information but may include aggregated data.

(e) For the purposes of this section, the phrase "homicides and suicides" means homicides and suicides of a person 19 years of age or older:

(1) That occurs in the District; or

(2) Is of District residents, regardless of the place of death.