Council of the District of Columbia

Committee of the Whole

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

 

TO:                 Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council

              

FROM:           Phil Mendelson, Chairman

                                               

DATE:            April 2, 2020

 

 

            This memorandum is to request that the following measures be placed on the April 7^th legislative meeting agenda:

 

• COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2020
• COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency Amendment Act of 2020
• COVID-19 Response Supplemental Temporary Amendment Act of 2020

 

            This emergency act would make a number of additional changes to the law to assist the District government with providing an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  It seeks to provide additional resources to address those who have become unemployed as a result of the public health emergency.  The legislation also provides additional relief to affected businesses and additional housing protections for residents during the pandemic.  The bill also includes a number of provisions to provide the Mayor more flexibilities during the public health emergency as well as additional and consumer protection provisions.  There are also administrative fixes to allow the District to carry out its June primary and special election with less in-person voting and provides for extensions of certain Board of Ethics and Government Accountability disclosure filings.

 

            As a result of plummeting revenues during the public health emergency, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has identified significant cash flow issues for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020.  The emergency act grants authority for the CFO to issue tax revenue anticipation notes and general obligation notes.  This borrowing will provide the CFO with the tools necessary to carry out financial operations during the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020.

 

            Given the Council cannot conduct regular business during the public health emergency, the bill also includes a number of provisions to allow the Council to transact business that it could not otherwise including approving various Mayoral nominations and adjusting the tolling clock on certain measures that are transmitted by the Mayor to the Council for its approval.

 

            The draft measures are attached.  It is a rough draft and includes almost all of the provisions requested by Councilmembers and the Executive.  Some of these will be dropped or will be refined over the next several days.  This will be a consensus bill.  Provisions of the final emergency act will be incorporated into the COVID-19 temporary act before the Council for second reading, but a new temporary is being noticed to keep all options open.  Please call me or Mr. Evan Cash if you have any questions at (202) 724-7002. 

 

cc:        All Councilmembers

            Council Officers