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Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Zachary Parker 6
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A BILL
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 15
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To amend the Block Party Act of 2012 to require the Department of Transportation to create a 20
process for issuing street play permits and for preauthorizing certain blocks for expedited 21
street play permits. 22
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF TH E DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 24
act may be cited as the “Game On: Providing Leisure Activities for Youth Amendment Act of 25
2023”. 26
Sec. 2. The Block Party Act of 2012, D.C. Law 19-190, effective October 23, 2012 (D.C. 27
Official Code § 9-631 et seq.) is amended as follows: 28
(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 9-631) is amended by adding new paragraphs (3) 29
and (4) to read as follows: 30
“(3) “Preauthorized block” means a section of roadway that has been 31
approved for expedited Street Play permitting, pursuant to section 3a. 32
“(4) “Street play” means sports or recreational activities undertaken in a 33
public right of way that has been closed to traffic and for which there is no admission or entrance 34
fee.”. 35
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(b) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 9-632) is amended as follows: 36
(1) The section title is amended to read as follows: 37
“Sec. 3. Block party and street play permit application and requirements.”. 38
(2) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “create a block party 39
application and make it available” and inserting the phrase “create a block party application and 40
a street play permit application and make them available” in its place. 41
(3) Subsection (b)(1) is amended by striking the phrase “submit a block party 42
application and request a street closing for the purpose of holding a block party” and inserting 43
the phrase “submit a block party or street play permit application and request a street closing for 44
the purpose of holding a block party or providing for street play” in its place. 45
(4) Subsection (b)(2) is amended by striking the phrase “activity for a block 46
party shall” and inserting the phrase “activity for a block party or street play shall” in its place. 47
(5) Subsection (c) is amended as follows: 48
(A) Strike the phrase “block party application shall” and inserting 49
the phrase “block party or street play permit application shall” in its place; and 50
(B) Strike the phrase “consented to the block party” and inserting 51
the phrase “consented to the block party or street play” in its place. 52
(6) Subsection (d) is amended by striking the phrase “completed block party 53
application” and inserting the phrase “completed block party or street play permit application” in 54
its place. 55
(c) A new section 3a is added to read as follows: 56
“Sec. 3a. Street play permit preauthorization program 57
“(a) The Department shall create a street play permit preauthorization application 58
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and make it available for in-person pickup and through the Department’s website. 59
“(b)(1) A District resident, 21 years or older, may submit a street play permit 60
preauthorization application for a block on which the resident lives. The application shall: 61
“(A) Be completed on the form provided by the Department; 62
“(B) Identify the street name and cross streets of the block to be 63
preauthorized for street play; 64
“(C) Include the names of up to thr ee authorized residents of the identified 65
block who may request an expedited street play permit; and 66
“(D) Include the signatures of 80% of the residents, owners, or business 67
abutting the section of the street requested to be preauthorized for street play who have 68
consented to preauthorization for street play. 69
“(2) For the purpose of subparagraph (b)(1)(C), a property that has been identified 70
as a vacant building, as that term is defined in section 5(5) of An Act To provide for the 71
abatement of nuisances in the District of Columbia by the Commissioner of said District, and for 72
other purposes, approved April 14, 1906 (34 Stat. 114; D.C. Official Code § 42-3131.05(5)), 73
shall not be included when determining whether 80% of residents, owners, or businesses have 74
consented to preauthorization for street play. 75
“(c)(1) For one year after the effective date of the Game On: Providing Leisure Activities 76
for Youth Amendment Act of 2023, as introduced on November 16, 2023 (introduced version of 77
B25-XXX) (“GO PLAY Act”), a street play preauthorization shall be effective for six months 78
after the date of approval or until the end of the calendar year during which the preauthorization 79
was approved, whichever is shorter. 80
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“(2) A street play preaut horization issued at least one year after the effective date 81
of the GO PLAY Act, shall be effective until the end of the calendar year during which it was 82
approved. 83
“(d) An authorized resident may request an expedited street play permit for a 84
preauthorized block by submitting to the Department either online or in person: 85
“(1) A statement asserti ng that the resident posted, at least 48 hours before the 86
date of the proposed street closure and in at least four locations on the preauthorized block, 87
notice of the street closure; 88
“(2) Photographs of the posted notice; and 89
“(3) The date and time of the street closure. 90
“(e) An authorized resident may request an expedited street play permit on any day that is 91
not prohibited by the Department in the street play permit preauthorization approval and is: 92
“(1) A weekend; 93
“(2) A District of Columbia holiday; or 94
“(3) A scheduled day off for all students during the District of Columbia Public 95
Schools school year.”. 96
(d) Section 4 (D.C. Official Code § 9-633) is amended as follows: 97
(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “approving block party 98
applications” and inserting the phrase “approving block party, street play permit, and street play 99
permit preauthorization applications”. 100
(2) New subsections (b-1) and (b-2) are added to read as follows: 101
“(b-1) The Department shall approve or deny a block party or street play permit 102
application and notify the applicant within four business days. 103
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“(b-2)(1) The Department shall approve or deny a street play permit preauthorization 104
application within 30 days. 105
“(2) The preauthorization approval shall include a list of any otherwise eligible 106
dates during which the Department determines that street play shall be prohibited on the 107
preauthorized block, and an explanation of why street play is prohibited on those dates.”. 108
(e) Section 5 (D.C. Official Code § 9-634) is amended as follows: 109
(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “approve block parties” 110
and inserting the phrase “approve block parties and street play permits” in its place. 111
(2) Subsection (b) is amended by striking the phrase “application for a block 112
party shall not” and inserting the phrase “application for a block party or a street play permit 113
shall not” in its place. 114
(3) A new subsection (c) is added to read as follows: 115
“(c) An application for a street play preauthorization shall be granted if the Department 116
determines that: 117
“(1) The application meets the requirements of section 3a; 118
“(2) Frequent closures of the block would not create significant traffic congestion; 119
“(3) Frequent closures of the block would not cause significant public safety 120
concerns; and 121
“(4) There is no substantial neighborhood opposition to the application.”. 122
(4) A new subsection (d) is added to read as follows: 123
“(d) An application for an expedited street play permit, that meets the requirements of 124
section 3a(e), for a preauthorized block shall be deemed approved unless the Department notifies 125
the applicant that closure of the block will cause a significant public safety concern.”. 126
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Sec. 3. D.C. Official Code § 47-2862(d) is amended by striking the phrase “applicant for 127
a block party permit” and inserting the phrase “applicant for a block party permit, a street play 128
permit, or a street play preauthorization permit” in its place. 129
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.
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The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 131
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 132
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
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Sec. 5. Effective date.
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This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 135
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 136
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 137
1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 138
Columbia Register.
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