District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0343 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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11	11	June 13, 2023
12	12	Nyasha Smith, Secretary
13	13	Council of the District of Columbia
14	14	1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
15	15	Washington, DC 20004
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17	17	Dear Secretary Smith:
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19	19	Today, along with Councilmembers Brooke Pinto, Anita Bonds, Vincent C. Gray, Christina Henderson,
20	20	Janeese Lewis George, and Zachary Parker, I am introducing the “Private Security Camera System
21	21	Incentive Program Small Business Expansion Amendment Act of 2023.” Please find enclosed a signed
22	22	copy of the legislation.
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24	24	In 2015, I introduced the Home Security Camera Tax Credit Amendment Act of 2015, which served as the
25	25	basis for the District’s Private Security Camera System Incentive Program (“Program”). This highly
26	26	successful Program, administered by the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, has funded more
27	27	than 25,000 cameras across the District. The Program offers a rebate to individuals, non-profits, religious
28	28	institutions, and businesses to install exterior cameras, provided the purchaser agrees to register the
29	29	camera with the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”). MPD then uses footage from these cameras
30	30	to help investigate crimes and close cases.
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32	32	But the recent break-ins at several small businesses along the H Street, NE Corridor have highlighted a
33	33	need to provide additional support, particularly as expanded security infrastructure could have deterred
34	34	the break-ins in the first place or allowed MPD to respond faster, rather than simply recording footage of
35	35	the crimes as they were committed. The bill would therefore expand the Private Security Camera System
36	36	Incentive Program to include rebates for small businesses that earn less than $2.5 million in federal gross
37	37	receipts for security cameras or glass break sensors installed inside their buildings. The bill is needed to
38	38	provide both deterrence and additional evidence to aid MPD in its efforts to solve crimes.
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40	40	Please feel free to reach out to me or my Legislative Director, Antonio Nunes, with any questions or for
41	41	additional information.
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43	43	Sincerely,
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47	47	Charles Allen, Ward 6 Councilmember
48	48	Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
49	49	Vice Chair, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
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51	51	___________________________ ______________________________ 1
52	52	Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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55	55	___________________________ ______________________________ 5
56	56	Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Vincent C. Gray 6
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59	59	___________________________ ______________________________ 9
60	60	Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Zachary Parker 10
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63	63	___________________________ 13
64	64	Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 14
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66	66	16
67	67	A BILL 17
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69	69	________ 19
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72	72	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 22
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74	74	_________________ 24
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77	77	To amend the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016 to expand 27
78	78	the Private Security Camera System Incentive Program, administered by the Office of 28
79	79	Victim Services and Justice Grants, to reimburse small businesses for security camera 29
80	80	systems and glass break sensors installed on the interiors of their businesses. 30
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82	82	BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 32
83	83	act may be cited as the “Private Security Camera System Incentive Program Small Business 33
84	84	Expansion Amendment Act of 2023”. 34
85	85	Sec. 2. Section 214 of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act 35
86	86	of 2016, effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official Code § 7-2831), is amended as 36
87	87	follows: 37
88	88	(a) Subsection (a) is amended to read as follows: 38
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90	90	“(a)(1) There is established a Private Security Camera System Incentive Program 39
91	91	(“Program”), to be administered by the Mayor, to encourage the purchase and installation of the 40
92	92	following: 41
93	93	“(A) A security camera system on the exterior of a building owned or 42
94	94	leased by an individual, business, nonprofit, religious institution, or an entity as that term is 43
95	95	defined in § 29-101.02(10); 44
96	96	“(B) A security camera system on the interior of a building owned or 45
97	97	leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales; and 46
98	98	“(C) Glass break sensors installed on the interior of a building owned or 47
99	99	leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales. 48
100	100	“(2) A security camera system purchased and installed pursuant to paragraphs 49
101	101	(1)(A) or (B) of this subsection shall be registered with the Metropolitan Police Department.”. 50
102	102	(b) Subsection (b) is amended as follows: 51
103	103	(1) Paragraph (1) is amended to read as follows: 52
104	104	“(1) Purchase and install: 53
105	105	“(A) After September 22, 2015, a security camera system on the exterior 54
106	106	of the building; 55
107	107	“(B) After the effective date of the Private Security Camera System 56
108	108	Incentive Program Small Business Expansion Amendment Act of 2023, as introduced on June 57
109	109	13, 2023 (B25-___), a security camera system installed on the interior of a building owned or 58
110	110	leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales; or 59
111	111	“(C) After the effective date of the Private Security Camera System 60
112	112	Incentive Program Small Business Expansion Amendment Act of 2023, as introduced on June 61
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114	114	13, 2023 (B25-___), glass break sensors installed on the interior of the building owned or leased 62
115	115	by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or sales;”. 63
116	116	(2) Paragraph (2) is amended to read as follows: 64
117	117	“(2) For security camera systems installed on the exterior or interior of a building, 65
118	118	register the system with the Metropolitan Police Department;”. 66
119	119	(c) Subsection (c) is amended as follows: 67
120	120	(1) Paragraph (1) is amended as follows: 68
121	121	(A) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase “the system” 69
122	122	and inserting the phrase “the system or glass break sensors” in its place. 70
123	123	(B) Subparagraph (A) is amended by striking the phrase “; or” and 71
124	124	inserting a semicolon in its place. 72
125	125	(C) Subparagraph (B) is amended as follows: 73
126	126	(i) Strike the phrase “exterior of a building owned or leased by a 74
127	127	business, nonprofit, religious institution or other entity as defined in” and insert the phrase 75
128	128	“interior or exterior of a building owned or leased by an individual, religious institution, or 76
129	129	entity, as that term is defined in;” in its place. 77
130	130	(ii) Strike the period and insert the phrase “; or” in its place. 78
131	131	(D) A new subparagraph (C) is added to read as follows: 79
132	132	“(C) Up to $200 for glass break sensors installed on the interior of a 80
133	133	building owned or leased by a business that has less than $2,500,000 federal gross receipts or 81
134	134	sales.”. 82
135	135	(2) Paragraph (3) is repealed. 83
136	136	(d) Subsection (f) is amended as follows: 84
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138	138	(1) Paragraph (1) is amended by striking the phrase “system verification” and 85
139	139	inserting the phrase “verification of the security camera system or glass break sensors” in its 86
140	140	place. 87
141	141	(2) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase “a system” and inserting the 88
142	142	phrase “a security camera system” in its place. 89
143	143	(e) Subsection (h) is amended as follows: 90
144	144	(1) The lead-in language is amended by striking the phrase “From Janaury 15, 91
145	145	2016” and inserting the phrase “From January 15, 2016” in its place. 92
146	146	(2) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase “private security cameras” 93
147	147	and inserting the phrase “private security cameras and glass break sensors” in its place. 94
148	148	(3) Paragraph (4) is amended by striking the phrase “subsection (c)(1)(A) or (B)” 95
149	149	and inserting the phrase “subsection (c)(1)(A), (B), or (C)” in its place. 96
150	150	(f) Subsection (i) is amended to read as follows: 97
151	151	“(i) For the purposes of this section, the term “security camera system” means one or 98
152	152	more indoor or outdoor surveillance cameras with functioning digital video recording 99
153	153	capability.”. 100
154	154	Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 101
155	155	The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 102
156	156	impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 103
157	157	approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 104
158	158	Sec. 4. Effective date. 105
159	159	This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 106
160	160	Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 107
161	161	provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 108
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163	163	24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 109
164	164	Columbia Register. 110