District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0578 Compare Versions

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

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3	3	________________________________ ________________________________ 1
4	4	Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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7	7	________________________________ ________________________________ 5
8	8	Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Zachary Parker 6
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12	12	A BILL
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20	20	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 15
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22	22	_________________________
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28	28	To amend the Block Party Act of 2012 to require the Department of Transportation to create a 20
29	29	process for issuing street play permits and for preauthorizing certain blocks for expedited 21
30	30	street play permits. 22
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32	32	23
33	33	BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF TH E DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 24
34	34	act may be cited as the “Game On: Providing Leisure Activities for Youth Amendment Act of 25
35	35	2023”. 26
36	36	Sec. 2. The Block Party Act of 2012, D.C. Law 19-190, effective October 23, 2012 (D.C. 27
37	37	Official Code § 9-631 et seq.) is amended as follows: 28
38	38	(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 9-631) is amended by adding new paragraphs (3) 29
39	39	and (4) to read as follows: 30
40	40	“(3) “Preauthorized block” means a section of roadway that has been 31
41	41	approved for expedited Street Play permitting, pursuant to section 3a. 32
42	42	“(4) “Street play” means sports or recreational activities undertaken in a 33
43	43	public right of way that has been closed to traffic and for which there is no admission or entrance 34
44	44	fee.”. 35
45	45	2
46	46	(b) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 9-632) is amended as follows: 36
47	47	(1) The section title is amended to read as follows: 37
48	48	“Sec. 3. Block party and street play permit application and requirements.”. 38
49	49	(2) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “create a block party 39
50	50	application and make it available” and inserting the phrase “create a block party application and 40
51	51	a street play permit application and make them available” in its place. 41
52	52	(3) Subsection (b)(1) is amended by striking the phrase “submit a block party 42
53	53	application and request a street closing for the purpose of holding a block party” and inserting 43
54	54	the phrase “submit a block party or street play permit application and request a street closing for 44
55	55	the purpose of holding a block party or providing for street play” in its place. 45
56	56	(4) Subsection (b)(2) is amended by striking the phrase “activity for a block 46
57	57	party shall” and inserting the phrase “activity for a block party or street play shall” in its place. 47
58	58	(5) Subsection (c) is amended as follows: 48
59	59	(A) Strike the phrase “block party application shall” and inserting 49
60	60	the phrase “block party or street play permit application shall” in its place; and 50
61	61	(B) Strike the phrase “consented to the block party” and inserting 51
62	62	the phrase “consented to the block party or street play” in its place. 52
63	63	(6) Subsection (d) is amended by striking the phrase “completed block party 53
64	64	application” and inserting the phrase “completed block party or street play permit application” in 54
65	65	its place. 55
66	66	(c) A new section 3a is added to read as follows: 56
67	67	“Sec. 3a. Street play permit preauthorization program 57
68	68	“(a) The Department shall create a street play permit preauthorization application 58
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70	70	and make it available for in-person pickup and through the Department’s website. 59
71	71	“(b)(1) A District resident, 21 years or older, may submit a street play permit 60
72	72	preauthorization application for a block on which the resident lives. The application shall: 61
73	73	“(A) Be completed on the form provided by the Department; 62
74	74	“(B) Identify the street name and cross streets of the block to be 63
75	75	preauthorized for street play; 64
76	76	“(C) Include the names of up to thr ee authorized residents of the identified 65
77	77	block who may request an expedited street play permit; and 66
78	78	“(D) Include the signatures of 80% of the residents, owners, or business 67
79	79	abutting the section of the street requested to be preauthorized for street play who have 68
80	80	consented to preauthorization for street play. 69
81	81	“(2) For the purpose of subparagraph (b)(1)(C), a property that has been identified 70
82	82	as a vacant building, as that term is defined in section 5(5) of An Act To provide for the 71
83	83	abatement of nuisances in the District of Columbia by the Commissioner of said District, and for 72
84	84	other purposes, approved April 14, 1906 (34 Stat. 114; D.C. Official Code § 42-3131.05(5)), 73
85	85	shall not be included when determining whether 80% of residents, owners, or businesses have 74
86	86	consented to preauthorization for street play. 75
87	87	“(c)(1) For one year after the effective date of the Game On: Providing Leisure Activities 76
88	88	for Youth Amendment Act of 2023, as introduced on November 16, 2023 (introduced version of 77
89	89	B25-XXX) (“GO PLAY Act”), a street play preauthorization shall be effective for six months 78
90	90	after the date of approval or until the end of the calendar year during which the preauthorization 79
91	91	was approved, whichever is shorter. 80
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93	93	“(2) A street play preaut horization issued at least one year after the effective date 81
94	94	of the GO PLAY Act, shall be effective until the end of the calendar year during which it was 82
95	95	approved. 83
96	96	“(d) An authorized resident may request an expedited street play permit for a 84
97	97	preauthorized block by submitting to the Department either online or in person: 85
98	98	“(1) A statement asserti ng that the resident posted, at least 48 hours before the 86
99	99	date of the proposed street closure and in at least four locations on the preauthorized block, 87
100	100	notice of the street closure; 88
101	101	“(2) Photographs of the posted notice; and 89
102	102	“(3) The date and time of the street closure. 90
103	103	“(e) An authorized resident may request an expedited street play permit on any day that is 91
104	104	not prohibited by the Department in the street play permit preauthorization approval and is: 92
105	105	“(1) A weekend; 93
106	106	“(2) A District of Columbia holiday; or 94
107	107	“(3) A scheduled day off for all students during the District of Columbia Public 95
108	108	Schools school year.”. 96
109	109	(d) Section 4 (D.C. Official Code § 9-633) is amended as follows: 97
110	110	(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “approving block party 98
111	111	applications” and inserting the phrase “approving block party, street play permit, and street play 99
112	112	permit preauthorization applications”. 100
113	113	(2) New subsections (b-1) and (b-2) are added to read as follows: 101
114	114	“(b-1) The Department shall approve or deny a block party or street play permit 102
115	115	application and notify the applicant within four business days. 103
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117	117	“(b-2)(1) The Department shall approve or deny a street play permit preauthorization 104
118	118	application within 30 days. 105
119	119	“(2) The preauthorization approval shall include a list of any otherwise eligible 106
120	120	dates during which the Department determines that street play shall be prohibited on the 107
121	121	preauthorized block, and an explanation of why street play is prohibited on those dates.”. 108
122	122	(e) Section 5 (D.C. Official Code § 9-634) is amended as follows: 109
123	123	(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “approve block parties” 110
124	124	and inserting the phrase “approve block parties and street play permits” in its place. 111
125	125	(2) Subsection (b) is amended by striking the phrase “application for a block 112
126	126	party shall not” and inserting the phrase “application for a block party or a street play permit 113
127	127	shall not” in its place. 114
128	128	(3) A new subsection (c) is added to read as follows: 115
129	129	“(c) An application for a street play preauthorization shall be granted if the Department 116
130	130	determines that: 117
131	131	“(1) The application meets the requirements of section 3a; 118
132	132	“(2) Frequent closures of the block would not create significant traffic congestion; 119
133	133	“(3) Frequent closures of the block would not cause significant public safety 120
134	134	concerns; and 121
135	135	“(4) There is no substantial neighborhood opposition to the application.”. 122
136	136	(4) A new subsection (d) is added to read as follows: 123
137	137	“(d) An application for an expedited street play permit, that meets the requirements of 124
138	138	section 3a(e), for a preauthorized block shall be deemed approved unless the Department notifies 125
139	139	the applicant that closure of the block will cause a significant public safety concern.”. 126
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141	141	Sec. 3. D.C. Official Code § 47-2862(d) is amended by striking the phrase “applicant for 127
142	142	a block party permit” and inserting the phrase “applicant for a block party permit, a street play 128
143	143	permit, or a street play preauthorization permit” in its place. 129
144	144	Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.
145	145	130
146	146	The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 131
147	147	statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 132
148	148	October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
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150	150	Sec. 5. Effective date.
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152	152	This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 135
153	153	Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 136
154	154	provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 137
155	155	1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 138
156	156	Columbia Register.
157	157	139