District Of Columbia 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0444 Introduced / Bill

Filed 09/18/2023

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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 2 
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A BILL 5 
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 8 
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To amend on an emergency basis the Rental Housing Act of 1985 to maintain a moratorium on 11 
voluntary agreements.  12 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may 14 
be cited as the “Voluntary Agreement Moratorium Emergency Amendment Act of 2023”	. 15 
Sec. 2. T he Rental Housing Act of 1985, effective July 17, 1985 (D.C. Law 6-	10; D.C. 16 
Official Code § 42-	3501.01 et seq .)), is amended by adding a new section 215a to read as 17 
follows:  18 
"Sec. 215a. (a) Notwithstanding the requirements of section 215, tenants and housing 19 
providers shall not enter into a voluntary agreement pursuant to section 215(a) for 1 year	.  20 
"(b) Subsection (a) of this section shall not affect any voluntary agreements that have 21 
already been approved by the Rent Administrator pursuant to section 215(b) prior to the 22 
applicability date of the Voluntary Agreement Moratorium Amendment Act of 2020, passed on 23 
2nd reading December 15, 2020 (enrolled version of Bill 23-878).". 24 
Sec. 3. Applicability. 25 
This act shall apply as of October 1, 2023. 26 
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 27 
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 28 
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 29 
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-	301.47a). 30  2 
 
Sec. 5. Effective date. 31 
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 32 
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 33 
90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 34 
412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 35 
D.C. Official Code § 1-	204.12(a)). 36