{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-4-561.12","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 4-561.12","heading":"Establishment of a Sexual Assault Response Team.","body":"(a)\nThere is established the Sexual Assault Response Team (\"SART\").\n\n(b)\nThe SART shall be a partnership of public and private agencies that:\n(1)\nCoordinates a high-quality, multidisciplinary, victim-centered response to sexual assault cases; and\n(2)\nMakes recommendations to improve the continuum of services in the District for sexual assault victims.\n\n(c)\nMembership on the SART shall include the following persons:\n(1)\nThe Director of the OVSJG, or the Director's designee;\n(2)\nThe SART coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Director of the OVSJG, and serve as a non-voting member;\n(3)\nThe Attorney General for the District of Columbia, or the Attorney General's designee;\n(4)\nThe Chief of Police, or the Chief's designee who is a member of the Sexual Assault Unit with the rank of Captain or above;\n(5)\nA representative from the MPD Victim Services Branch;\n(6)\nThe Director of the Child and Family Services Agency, or the Director's designee;\n(7)\nThe Executive Director of the Children's Advocacy Center, or the Director's designee;\n(8)\nThe United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, or the United States Attorney's designee who is an attorney assigned to the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section;\n(9)\nA representative from the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia;\n(10)\nA representative from the United States Park Police;\n(11)\nThe Director of each entity in the DC SANE Program, or the Director's designee; provided, that the Director or the Director's designee shall be a forensic nurse examiner, as that term is defined in § 23-1907(2), or a physician with specialized training in medical forensic evidence collection;\n(12)\nThe Director of each community-based organization that is providing victim advocacy services pursuant to § 23-1909, or the Director's designee; provided, that the community-based organization has been approved for membership by the SART;\n(13)\nThe Director, or the Director's designee, of each entity that provides medical forensic care to sexual assault victims; provided, that the entity has been approved for membership by the SART;\n(14)\nA representative from a community-based organization, selected by the SART, that is providing post-sexual assault mental health services;\n(15)\nA representative from the designated State sexual assault coalition, as that term is defined in 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(33), for the District;\n(16)\nThe Director of the DFS, or the Director's designee, who is a forensic scientist;\n(17)\nThe Chief Medical Examiner, or the Chief Medical Examiner's designee; and\n(18)\nA representative from a District of Columbia-based college or university that provides direct victim services to sexual assault victims and who holds a position at that college or university.\n\n(d)\nThe SART shall hold its initial meeting within 90 days after November 20, 2014. At the initial meeting, one non-governmental member of the SART shall be elected as Chairperson by a majority of the SART members.\n\n(d-1)\nA chairperson shall be elected from among the non-governmental members of the SART.\n\n(d-2)\nNo non-governmental organization or entity shall have more than one representative on the SART.\n\n(e)\nFollowing the SART’s initial meeting, the SART shall meet at least 6 times per calendar year.\n\n(f)\nThe SART shall establish its own procedures and requirements with respect to the place and manner in which it will conduct its meetings.\n\n(g)\nSubchapter IV of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§ 2-571 et seq.] shall not apply to meetings of the SART.\n\n(h)\n(1)\nAt least annually, OVSJG shall, in collaboration with the DFS and the OCME, facilitate training for members of the SART.\n(2)\nThe training shall include instruction on explaining, in a manner that is trauma-informed and victim-centered, the procedure and results of a PERK, forensic analysis of the PERK, and toxicology tests.\n\n(i)\nIn addition to the members listed in subsection (c) of this section, the SART may expand its membership by establishing a membership application, evaluation, and approval process for:\n(1)\nAny community-based organization that seeks to provide victim advocacy services pursuant to § 23-1909;\n(2)\nAny entity that seeks to provide medical forensic care to sexual assault victims; and\n(3)\nAny entity that seeks to administer a victim hotline or participate in the sexual assault victim advocate dispatch system.","path":["Title 4. Public Care Systems.","Chapter 5. Victims of Crime.","Subchapter IV. Sexual Assault Response."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/4-561.12","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"e0f3e1396145c08aa7509ce63e989072c6140728f53793018fbbb1a0403a8bea","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-4-561.11","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-4-561.13"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}