CP 23 starts today

image: council of the district of columbia

image: council of the district of columbia

The Council of the District of Columbia’s new term—Council Period—starts today, January 2, 2019. There are some expected changes in the council’s organization (think committees, chairs) and some wonky ones (most everything else).

First comes the Council Period 23 Rules of Organization and Procedure as proposed by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. The rules govern everything about the ways the council and individual members function. The rules will be considered and approved in the form of a resolution at the council’s organization meeting Wednesday, January 2 at 1:30 pm (the agenda; watch online). With the exception of committees, some of the most significant changes, according to the Committee of the Whole, are:

  • Rule 263 clarifies the General Counsel's duty to represent members and staff

  • Rule 307 establishes a 4pm deadline for the Mayor to file contracts

  • Rules 309 & 310 strengthen requirements (including a deadline for requests) for members to get Fiscal Impact Statements from the budget office and Legislative Sufficiency Determinations from General Counsel

  • Rule 338 limits the presentation of ceremonial resolutions to resolutions already adopted at a prior meeting, and limits the cumulative time a member may use to present ceremonials to 30 minutes per Council Period

  • Rule 356 requires that amendments in the nature of a substitute must include a rationale explaining legislative intent

  • Rule 366 requires that where a TAFA states that an abatement or tax relief is not necessary, the measure shall require a 2/3rds vote

  • The extensive edits involving open meetings, FOIA, and the transaction of public business by electronic format reflect existing law and rules and do not provide any new requirements

  • Rule 421 requires 24 hours' notice of a roundtable

  • Rule 522 establishes a deadline of 48 hours before a hearing for Executive Agencies to submit their written statements

  • Rule 803 has been edited to convey that committee reports must provide comprehensive information as to background & need for measures being reported, and the reports must also summarize and attach a TAFA if one was provided.

  • Rule 811 makes General Counsel the Council's FOIA Officer.

  • In addition, the attached Rules have FOIA under the jurisdiction of the Committee of the Whole (this may not have been in the December 20th document).

Now to the committees. Chairman Mendelson changed a number of the committees for CP23 in order to assign the newest members committees; new committees have an *. The Committee of the Whole, for example, will share oversight of education with the Committee on Education (read jonetta rose barras: Council Chairman Phil Mendelson’s education mess for one perspective on this change), Gov Ops will take on the Commission on Human Rights and the Office of Risk Management, and the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization is responsible for issues related to older residents.

  • Committee of the Whole

  • Committee on Business and Economic Development

  • Committee on Education

  • Committee on Facilities and Procurement*

  • Committee on Finance and Revenue

  • Committee on Government Operations

  • Committee on Health

  • Committee on Human Services

  • Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization

  • Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety

  • Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

  • Committee on Recreation and Youth Affairs*

  • Committee on Transportation and the Environment

In the upcoming weeks, the committees will organize themselves formally. Such committee meetings will be noticed on the DC Council’s calendar. All meetings are open to the public and the committee rules are available for review before and after they are adopted.

EventsAnacostia Park and Community Collaborative