District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0473 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON
3	3	COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
4	4
5	5	Statement of Introduction
6	6
7	7	“School Facilities Sponsorship and Naming Amendment Act of 2022”
8	8
9	9	Today I am introducing the School Facilities Sponsorship and Naming Amendment Act of
10	10	2022. This bill would clarify that the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) may partner
11	11	with organizations to adopt or sponsor certain school facilities such as auditoriums, athletic fields,
12	12	libraries, or other facilities internal to a school and such facilities may be granted a name in honor
13	13	of a person. Currently the Council is the sole authority to provide names for most public spaces,
14	14	including DCPS buildings. The question of the authority to name a facility that is within or part
15	15	of a DCPS school is ambiguous. A number of facilities such as an athletic field or an auditorium
16	16	have been named in an ad hoc basis without Council approval.
17	17
18	18	This legislation would permit DCPS to name an interior space of a building, such as an
19	19	auditorium. It would also establish a uniform system for naming any field or interior space similar
20	20	to the sponsorship and naming conventions for Department of Parks and Recreation facilities. For
21	21	example, several DPR fields have been sponsored and named for Washington Nationals Major
22	22	League Baseball players.
23	23
24	24	This legislation is aimed at encouraging financial or other support f rom private and
25	25	philanthropic organizations for DCPS schools and will allow DCPS to affix the name of the
26	26	sponsor to the facility. The Committee of the Whole, which has oversight of both DCPS and
27	27	public space namings has received requests for naming school facilities such as athletics fields for
28	28	individuals such as former school athletic coaches. These proposals have previously been made
29	29	to the Committee of the Whole by athletic boosters.
30	30
31	31	It is the hope that this legislation will create a predictable system for the namings of
32	32	facilities (other than DCPS buildings), without the need for Council intervention. In exchange,
33	33	schools would benefit from financial donations or gifts of equipment or infrastructure that enhance
34	34	the learning environment.
35	35
36	36
37	37	1
38	38
39	39	__________________________ 1
40	40	Chairman Phil Mendelson 2
41	41	3
42	42	4
43	43	5
44	44	6
45	45	A BILL 7
46	46	8
47	47	_________ 9
48	48	10
49	49	11
50	50	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12
51	51	13
52	52	__________________ 14
53	53	15
54	54	16
55	55	To amend the District of Columbia Public Schools Agency Establishment Act of 2007 to permit 17
56	56	the sponsorship and adoption of certain school facilities and to amend the Street and 18
57	57	Alley Closing and Acquisition Procedures Act of 1982 to allow for the naming of an 19
58	58	adopted or sponsored District of Columbia Public Schools facility in honor of an 20
59	59	individual. 21
60	60	22
61	61	BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 23
62	62	act may be cited as the “School Facilities Sponsorship and Naming Amendment Act of 2023”. 24
63	63	Sec. 2. The District of Columbia Public Schools Agency Establishment Act of 2007, 25
64	64	effective October 22, 2015 (D.C. Law 21-36; D.C. Official Code § 38-171 et seq.), is amended 26
65	65	by adding a new section 105b to read as follows” 27
66	66	“Sec 105b. School facility adoptions and sponsorship. 28
67	67	“(a) The Chancellor may enter into an agreement with individuals, associations, 29
68	68	corporations, partnerships, neighborhood and civic groups, nonprofit organizations, or parent 30
69	69	teacher organizations to adopt or sponsor District of Columbia Public Schools athletic field, 31
70	70	auditorium, gymnasium, library, lab, theater, or other indoor or outdoor space under the control a 32
71	71	District of Columbia Public School. The form of such adoption or sponsorship shall be made by 33
72	72	a donation to the school of funds, services, equipment, or any other asset with intrinsic value. 34
73	73	2
74	74
75	75	The Chancellor may form partnerships with any of the above stated groups to accomplish a 35
76	76	stated goal or mission of the District of Columbia Public Schools. 36
77	77	“(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Chancellor may name an interior space of a 37
78	78	school building, such as an auditorium, after an individual who is or was associated with the 38
79	79	school.” 39
80	80	Sec. 3. The Street and Alley Closing and Acquisition Procedures Act of 1982, effective 40
81	81	March 10, 1983 (D.C. Law 4-201; D.C. Official Code § 9-201.01 et seq.), is amended as follows: 41
82	82	(a) Section 405 (D.C. Official Code § 9-204.05) is amended by striking thee phrase 42
83	83	“Except as provided in section 410, no public space” and inserting “Except as provided in 43
84	84	sections 410 and 411, no public space” in its place. 44
85	85	(b) A new section 411 is added to read as follows: 45
86	86	“Sec. 411. Naming of sponsored public school facilities. 46
87	87	“(a) Notwithstanding section 401, the Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public 47
88	88	Schools may name in honor of a person a District of Columbia Public Schools athletic field, 48
89	89	auditorium, gymnasium, library, lab, theater, or other indoor or outdoor space under the control a 49
90	90	District of Columbia Public School that is adopted or sponsored pursuant to Section 105b of the 50
91	91	District of Columbia Public Schools Agency Establishment Act of 2007, effective October 22, 51
92	92	2015 (D.C. Law 21-36; D.C. Official Code § 38-174.02); provided, that: 52
93	93	“(1) The naming is detailed in an agreement between the Mayor and the entity 53
94	94	adopting or sponsoring the facility, and that such agreement contains a provision for the duration 54
95	95	of the naming; 55
96	96	“(2) The agreement requires the financial adoption or sponsorship of the facility; 56
97	97	and 57
98	98	3
99	99
100	100	“(3) The name is that of a and individual who may be living or deceased less than 58
101	101	2 years and who has a connection to the sponsorship, adoption, or facility; or 59
102	102	“(4) The naming is pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 105b. 60
103	103	“(b) The District of Columbia Public Schools may display the logo of an entity 61
104	104	sponsoring or adopting a field on signage at the field; provided, that the display of the logo be 62
105	105	less prominent than the name of the person for whom the facility is named, and that the display 63
106	106	be consistent with the terms of the agreement required by subsection (a)(1) of this section. 64
107	107	Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 65
108	108	The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 66
109	109	impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, 67
110	110	approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(3)). 68
111	111	Sec. 5. Effective date. 69
112	112	This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 70
113	113	Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 60-day period of congressional review as 71
114	114	provided in section 602(c)(2) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 72
115	115	24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(2)), and publication in the District of 73
116	116	Columbia Register. 74