ENROLLED ORIGINAL
A RESOLUTION
25-97
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
April 4, 2023
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Migrant Services
and Supports Temporary Act of 2022 to clarify eligibility requirements and supports
provided by the Office of Migrant Services; and to amend the Homeless Services Reform
Act of 2005 to clarify eligibility requirements for immigrant residents accessing homeless
services.
RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Migrant Services Eligibility Clarification Emergency Declaration
Resolution of 2023”.
Sec. 2. (a) There exists an immediate need to clarify the services that the Mayor is
authorized to provide under the Migrant Services and Supports Temporary Act of 2022,effective
December 21, 2022 (D.C. Law 24-234; D.C. Official Code § 4-773.01 et seq.).
(b) The Office of Migrant Services was established under prior legislation, and it has
begun providing an array of services to migrants entering the District.
(c) The experience of providing those services, however, has demonstrated the need to
clarify the scope of services to be provided and the eligibility and termination criteria for those
services and supports, and to provide adequate notice to individuals of the denial or termination
of services.
(d) In addition, clarity is required to ensure that persons seeking shelter are not denied
access to shelter in both the migrant services and homeless services systems.
(e) The emergency measure is also necessary to rectify a drafting error in the original bill,
which unintentionally has expansive impacts on the ability of some individuals to receive
services to which they would otherwise be entitled.
Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute
emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Migrant Services Eligibility Clarification
Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 should be adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.