The resolution declares an emergency regarding the need to amend the Child Fatality Review Committee Establishment Act of 2001 to include the Committee on Youth Affairs in the Child Fatality Review Committee (CFRC). This amendment is necessary to ensure that the Councilmember and staff overseeing the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) can attend CFRC meetings and access related materials. The Committee on Youth Affairs was established in January 2025 with oversight responsibilities for CFSA, but has been unable to participate in CFRC activities due to the lack of formal authority, which previously existed under the prior committee.

To address this issue, the resolution calls for immediate emergency legislation to grant the Committee on Youth Affairs the authority to join the CFRC, thereby enabling it to fulfill its oversight responsibilities effectively. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes the urgency of this situation and determines that the circumstances warrant the adoption of the Child Fatality Review Committee Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 after a single reading, with the resolution taking effect immediately.