June 13, 2023
Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Smith:
Today, along with Councilmembers Brooke Pinto, Anita Bonds, Vincent C. Gray, Christina Henderson,
Janeese Lewis George, and Zachary Parker, I am introducing the “Private Security Camera System
Incentive Program Small Business Expansion Amendment Act of 2023.” Please find enclosed a signed
copy of the legislation.
In 2015, I introduced the Home Security Camera Tax Credit Amendment Act of 2015, which served as the
basis for the District’s Private Security Camera System Incentive Program (“Program”). This highly
successful Program, administered by the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, has funded more
than 25,000 cameras across the District. The Program offers a rebate to individuals, non-profits, religious
institutions, and businesses to install exterior cameras, provided the purchaser agrees to register the
camera with the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”). MPD then uses footage from these cameras
to help investigate crimes and close cases.
But the recent break-ins at several small businesses along the H Street, NE Corridor have highlighted a
need to provide additional support, particularly as expanded security infrastructure could have deterred
the break-ins in the first place or allowed MPD to respond faster, rather than simply recording footage of
the crimes as they were committed. The bill would therefore expand the Private Security Camera System
Incentive Program to include rebates for small businesses that earn less than $2.5 million in federal gross
receipts for security cameras or glass break sensors installed inside their buildings. The bill is needed to
provide both deterrence and additional evidence to aid MPD in its efforts to solve crimes.
Please feel free to reach out to me or my Legislative Director, Antonio Nunes, with any questions or for
additional information.
Sincerely,
Charles Allen, Ward 6 Councilmember
Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
Vice Chair, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
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Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Vincent C. Gray 6
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Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Zachary Parker 10
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Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 14
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A BILL 17
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 22
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To amend the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016 to expand 27
the Private Security Camera System Incentive Program, administered by the Office of 28
Victim Services and Justice Grants, to reimburse small businesses for security camera 29
systems and glass break sensors installed on the interiors of their businesses. 30
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 32
act may be cited as the “Private Security Camera System Incentive Program Small Business 33
Expansion Amendment Act of 2023”. 34
Sec. 2. Section 214 of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act 35
of 2016, effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official Code § 7-2831), is amended as 36
follows: 37
(a) Subsection (a) is amended to read as follows: 38
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“(a)(1) There is established a Private Security Camera System Incentive Program 39
(“Program”), to be administered by the Mayor, to encourage the purchase and installation of the 40
following: 41
“(A) A security camera system on the exterior of a building owned or 42
leased by an individual, business, nonprofit, religious institution, or an entity as that term is 43
defined in § 29-101.02(10); 44
“(B) A security camera system on the interior of a building owned or 45
leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales; and 46
“(C) Glass break sensors installed on the interior of a building owned or 47
leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales. 48
“(2) A security camera system purchased and installed pursuant to paragraphs 49
(1)(A) or (B) of this subsection shall be registered with the Metropolitan Police Department.”. 50
(b) Subsection (b) is amended as follows: 51
(1) Paragraph (1) is amended to read as follows: 52
“(1) Purchase and install: 53
“(A) After September 22, 2015, a security camera system on the exterior 54
of the building; 55
“(B) After the effective date of the Private Security Camera System 56
Incentive Program Small Business Expansion Amendment Act of 2023, as introduced on June 57
13, 2023 (B25-___), a security camera system installed on the interior of a building owned or 58
leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales; or 59
“(C) After the effective date of the Private Security Camera System 60
Incentive Program Small Business Expansion Amendment Act of 2023, as introduced on June 61
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13, 2023 (B25-___), glass break sensors installed on the interior of the building owned or leased 62
by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales;”. 63
(2) Paragraph (2) is amended to read as follows: 64
“(2) For security camera systems installed on the exterior or interior of a building, 65
register the system with the Metropolitan Police Department;”. 66
(c) Subsection (c) is amended as follows: 67
(1) Paragraph (1) is amended as follows: 68
(A) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase “the system” 69
and inserting the phrase “the system or glass break sensors” in its place. 70
(B) Subparagraph (A) is amended by striking the phrase “; or” and 71
inserting a semicolon in its place. 72
(C) Subparagraph (B) is amended as follows: 73
(i) Strike the phrase “exterior of a building owned or leased by a 74
business, nonprofit, religious institution or other entity as defined in” and insert the phrase 75
“interior or exterior of a building owned or leased by an individual, religious institution, or 76
entity, as that term is defined in;” in its place. 77
(ii) Strike the period and insert the phrase “; or” in its place. 78
(D) A new subparagraph (C) is added to read as follows: 79
“(C) Up to $200 for glass break sensors installed on the interior of a 80
building owned or leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or 81
sales.”. 82
(2) Paragraph (3) is repealed. 83
(d) Subsection (f) is amended as follows: 84
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(1) Paragraph (1) is amended by striking the phrase “system verification” and 85
inserting the phrase “verification of the security camera system or glass break sensors” in its 86
place. 87
(2) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase “a system” and inserting the 88
phrase “a security camera system” in its place. 89
(e) Subsection (h) is amended as follows: 90
(1) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase “From Janaury 15, 91
2016” and inserting the phrase “From January 15, 2016” in its place. 92
(2) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase “private security cameras” 93
and inserting the phrase “private security cameras and glass break sensors” in its place. 94
(3) Paragraph (4) is amended by striking the phrase “subsection (c)(1)(A) or (B)” 95
and inserting the phrase “subsection (c)(1)(A), (B), or (C)” in its place. 96
(f) Subsection (i) is amended to read as follows: 97
“(i) For the purposes of this section, the term “security camera system” means one or 98
more indoor or outdoor surveillance cameras with functioning digital video recording 99
capability.”. 100
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 101
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 102
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 103
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 104
Sec. 4. Effective date. 105
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 106
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 107
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 108
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24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 109
Columbia Register. 110