Title 4, Public Care Systems.

(a) A Crime Victims Compensation Appeals Board is established in the Court. The Chief Judge shall appoint 5 members to the Board from among the membership of the Commission. Board members shall serve at the Chief Judge’s pleasure, reflect a variety of disciplines, and include at …

(a) A claimant is eligible to receive compensation under this subchapter if: (1) The claimant filed a claim under this subchapter within one year after: (A) The crime occurred; (B) Learning of the Program, with an adequate showing that the delay in learning of the Program was rea…

(a) The Court shall award compensation in an amount equal to the claimant’s economic loss, decreased by the amount available to the claimant from collateral sources. (a-1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, if a victim or secondary victim is a dependent on a primary …

(a) The Court shall not award compensation if the: (1) Claimant knowingly or willingly participated in the commission of the crime which forms the basis for the claim; provided, that a claimant who was a minor and a victim of sex trafficking of children, may be awarded compensati…

(a) A claimant or the claimant’s successors in interest retain the right to recover damages from the offender or third parties, and the right to restitution from the offender. (b) To the extent that the Court has made payment to or on behalf of the victim, restitution, if imposed…

(a) If it appears likely that a final award will be made and that the claimant will suffer undue financial or emotional hardship if immediate financial assistance is not granted, an emergency award not exceeding $1,000 may be made prior to the final determination. (b) If compensa…

(a) Information, records, and transcripts of hearings contained in the claims files under the provisions of this chapter are confidential and not open to public inspection, except that: (1) A claimant or the representative of a claimant, whether an individual or an organization, …

(a) A claim shall be initiated when the claimant timely submits a completed application to the Court. Claims may be filed in person, by mail, online, or by electronic mail. A claim may be filed by a person eligible for compensation as provided in § 4-506, or if that person is a m…

(a) It shall be a misdemeanor to knowingly submit false information or suppress relevant information concerning a claim under this chapter. Law enforcement authorities investigating possible false claims referred by the Court under this section have complete access to the claiman…

The Chief Judge of the Court shall report annually to the Council of the District of Columbia on the status and activities of the Program. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: (1) An explanation of the procedures for filing and processing cl…

(a) A fund is established to be administered by the Court and to be known as the Crime Victims Compensation Fund (“Fund”) for the purpose of accounting for the financial operations of this chapter. The Fund shall be maintained as a separate fund in the Treasury of the United Stat…

(a) There is established as a nonlapsing, interest-bearing, revolving fund the Crime Victims Assistance Fund into which shall be deposited the funds described in § 4-515(d)(2). The Crime Victims Assistance Fund shall be separate from the General Fund of the District of Columbia a…

(a)(1) In addition to and separate from punishment imposed, an assessment of $100 for each violation of the following crimes, an assessment of between $50 and $250 for other serious traffic or misdemeanor offenses, and an assessment of between $100 and $5,000 for each felony offe…

(a) All law enforcement agencies in the District of Columbia shall inform victims or secondary victims of the existence of the Program and provide application forms to victims and secondary victims. (b) No law enforcement agency shall be civilly liable for a failure to comply wit…

(a) The victims assistance grants agency shall have the authority to use the funds transferred pursuant to § 4-515 to award grants and contracts to private nonprofit organizations and to transfer funds to government entities which provide assistance to crime victims. (b) Repealed…

Funds may be appropriated as necessary to carry out this chapter.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Fund” means the Shelter and Transitional Housing for Victims of Domestic Violence Fund. (2) “Operating expenses” means: (A) Those costs incurred in providing counseling and case management to victims of domestic violence and th…

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Domestic violence” means a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner, dating partner, or family member. The term “domestic vio…

(a) The Office shall establish the Domestic Violence Hotline to provide assistance for victims and potential victims of domestic violence beginning October 1, 2014. (b)(1) The Hotline shall: (A) Be operated by a domestic violence program funded and supported by the Office; (B) Pr…

(a) Beginning October 1, 2013, the Office shall establish a task force to: (1) Assess staff and technology needs of the Hotline; and (2) Develop mechanisms for administration of the Hotline; and (3) Develop standards that coincide with the standards used by the existing domestic …

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (a)(1) "Actual address" means a participant's residential, work, or school address, or a combination thereof, as specified on an applicant's application to participate in the Program. (2) "Applicant" means a District resident who: (A…

(a) There is established the Address Confidentiality Program to be administered by OVSJG to protect the confidentiality of the actual address of a participant. (b) Under the Program, OVSJG shall: (1) Designate a substitute address for a participant that shall be used as provided …

(a) OVSJG shall: (1) Establish a training program for a person to complete before the person may be designated as an application assistant; and (2) Designate application assistants to assist an applicant or an applicant's representative in submitting an application to the Program…

(a) OVSJG may cancel a participant's certification if: (1) The participant or the participant's representative fails to comply with the requirements of this subchapter; or (2) Mail forwarded to the participant by OVSJG is returned as undeliverable. (b) If the Director determines …

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, except as provided in this section, a participant or the participant's representative shall not be required to provide the participant's actual address for any purpose for which a District agency requires or requests a residential, work, or scho…

(a) A District agency may request disclosure of a participant's actual address from OVSJG pursuant to this section by sending a written request to OVSJG on the District agency's letterhead with the following information: (1) The name of the participant for whom the District agenc…

(a) If, at any time, a participant is subject to an order or is involved in an action of a tribunal, OVSJG shall notify the relevant tribunal of the participant's certification. (b)(1) No person shall be compelled to disclose a participant's actual address during any proceeding b…

(a) Except as provided by this subchapter, no person shall intentionally obtain from a District agency, other than the Office of Tax and Revenue, or disclose a participant's actual address knowing that the participant is participating in the Program, unless required by existing l…

Neither the District government nor its employees, nor an application assistant, shall be liable for the failure of a participant to receive any mail forwarded to her or him by OVSJG pursuant to this subchapter.

Any person aggrieved by an action of OVSJG taken pursuant to this subchapter may appeal the action of OVSJG to the Office of Administrative Hearings pursuant to § 2-1831.03.

By January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, OVSJG shall submit a review of the Program to the chairperson of the Council committee with jurisdiction over OVSJG.

OVSJG, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, shall issue rules to implement the provisions of this subchapter.

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (a)(1) "Case Review Subcommittee" means the SART Case Review Subcommittee established by § 4-561.14. (2) "Consumption litigation" means litigation in a criminal proceeding initiated by notification to the defense of the need to consu…

(a) Within 7 days after a sexual assault victim makes a report to the MPD, the MPD shall retrieve any PERK and specimens and deliver: (1) The PERK to the DFS; and (2) The biological specimens for toxicology testing to the OCME. (b)(1) If a PERK is not involved in consumption liti…

The hospital shall not bill a sexual assault victim for costs associated with a PERK, including the costs of the PERK, its administration, and the processing of the PERK or any biological specimens.

(a) By December 1, 2014, the OVSJG shall retain an independent expert consultant. (b) The independent expert consultant shall be selected by the Office of Police Complaints, with input from the Victim Assistance Network, subject to final approval by the OVSJG. (c) The independent…

(a) The independent expert consultant shall have the following duties and obligations: (1) In consultation with the Task Force, assess and recommend modifications to MPD policies and protocols to ensure the MPD has a detailed and victim-centered sexual assault response policy tha…

(a)(1) The independent expert consultant shall: (A) Prepare, by June 1, 2015, and on a semiannual basis thereafter, a public report that contains: (i) A description of the work conducted by the independent expert consultant for that period; (ii) The methodology and specific findi…

The MPD shall provide the independent expert consultant with timely, full, and direct access to the MPD’s files and records, including: (1) Sexual assault investigative files, forms, and reports, including allegations, office information cases, and other cases with sexual element…

The Chief of Police shall monitor the MPD personnel’s compliance with MPD orders and protocols related to law enforcement interaction with sexual assault victims, including the Sexual Assault Unit’s Standard Operating Procedures, when responding to sexual assaults.

(a) The Chief of Police shall prepare, on an annual basis, a report on the MPD’s response to sexual assault reports. The report shall include, at a minimum: (1) The number of sexual assaults and attempted sexual assaults reported, identified by penal code classification; (2) The …

In the annual report filed pursuant to § 5-1501.04(a)(5), the Director of the DFS shall provide, for the prior calendar year: (a)(1) The number of PERKs received from the MPD; (2) The number of PERKs processed by the DFS or an accredited laboratory to which the DFS delegated the …

In the annual report filed pursuant to § 5-1412(d), the Chief Medical Examiner shall include the number of toxicology samples of sexual assault victims received from MPD and the number of toxicology samples of sexual assault victims processed by the OCME, including the time it to…

(a) There is established the Sexual Assault Response Team ("SART"). (b) The SART shall be a partnership of public and private agencies that: (1) Coordinates a high-quality, multidisciplinary, victim-centered response to sexual assault cases; and (2) Makes recommendations to impro…

(a)(a) The SART shall: (1) Improve the coordination and functioning of victim services, medical forensic care, investigations, and prosecutions available to sexual assault victims; (2) Conduct regular case reviews, through the Case Review Subcommittee, of all parties involved in …

(a) There is established the Sexual Assault Response Team Case Review Subcommittee ("Case Review Subcommittee"). (b) The Case Review Subcommittee shall be comprised of the following SART representatives: (1) The SART coordinator, who shall also coordinate the Case Review Subcommi…