D.C. Act 23-412. Sexual Assault Victims' Rights Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2020.
AN ACT
To amend, on an emergency basis, section 14-307 of the District of Columbia Official Code to prohibit sexual assault counselors from disclosing confidential information acquired from a client in a professional capacity without consent of the client or their legal representative; and to amend the Sexual Assault Victims' Rights Amendment Act of 2019 to extend the applicability date for certain provisions from October 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Sexual Assault Victims' Rights Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2020".
Sec. 2. Section 14-307 of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended as follows:
(a) The section heading is amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 14-307. Confidential information.
(b) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase "sexual assault victim advocate as defined in § 14-312(a)(7)" and inserting the phrase "sexual assault counselor as defined in § 23-1907(10)" in its place.
Sec. 3. Section 9(a) of the Sexual Assault Victims' Rights Amendment Act of 2019, effective March 3, 2020 (D.C. Law 23-57; 67 DCR 3072), is amended by striking the date "October 1, 2020" and inserting the date "January 1, 2021" in its place.
Sec. 4. Applicability.
This act shall apply as of October 1, 2020.
Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement.
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director 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. 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of a veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).
