ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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A RESOLUTION
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
February 4, 2025
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Mayor’s Youth
Leadership Institute Act of 2005 to modify the authorized uses of Department of
Employment Services funds for food and non -alcoholic beverage purchases for
workforce development programs; to amend the Criminal Background Checks for the
Protection of Children Act of 2004 to expand the definition of a covered child or youth
services provider to include employees or volunteers of host employers participating in
summer youth programs administered by the Department of Employment Services; and
to amend the Youth Employment Act of 1979 to authorize the Department of
Employment Services to conduct background checks and motor vehicle record checks of
employees or volunteers of a host employer or grantee with direct contact or
unsupervised access to youth participating in youth employment programs.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Youth Workforce Development Programs Emergency
Declaration Resolution of 2025”.
Sec. 2. (a) The emergency measure addresses administrative concerns faced by the
Department of Employment Services (“DOES”) as it prepares for the 2025 versions of 2 youth
programs: the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (“MBSYEP”) and the Career
Ready Early Scholars Program (“CRESP”).
(b) Each year, DOES ask s all host providers to complete background checks for anyone
that will be directly supervising District youth (ages 9- 16) at MBSYEP or CRESP host sites in
accordance with the Criminal Background Checks for the Protection of Children Act of 2004,
effective April 13, 2005 (D.C. Law 15- 353; D.C. Official Code § 4- 1501.01 et seq. ).
(c) In the past, the Department of Human Resources ( “DCHR”) has conducted the
background checks for DOES . However, recent guidance from the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (“FBI”) indicates that DCHR is no longer authorized to complete background
checks on behalf of DOES because the host site employees are not actual D istrict government
employees.
(d) DOES needs the authority to go to the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department
to get the background checks and ensure the safety of District youth participating in these ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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programs.
(e) The agency need s this language immediately because they will start conducting
background checks this month ( February 2025) and will need to issue a solicitation for a
background check company to do the work. Emergency legislation is therefore necessary t o
ensure DOES can conduct the background checks of those who will be supervising youth this
summer.
(f) Moreover, given that the Fiscal Year 2025 MBSYEP is already underway, it is also
necessary to clarify the permissible uses of DOES funds for food purchases for program
participants on an emergency basis. The emergency legislation makes it clear that DOES funds
shall only be used on food and beverages at those events attended by program participants.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Youth
Workforce Development Programs Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be adopted after a
single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.