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:            September 14, 2023

 

 

I am placing on the agenda for next week’s Additional Legislative Meeting the following measure:

 

▪       Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Authorization Resolution of 2023

 

            The purpose of this measure is to permit me to appoint two non-residents to the newly related Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. This Commission was established by the Opioid Litigation Proceeds Amendment Act of 2022, which became effective March 10, 2023 and which was fully funded during this year’s budget cycle via the Fiscal Year 2023 Revised Local Budget Emergency Act of 2023.

 

            I have worked with the Chair of the Council’s Committee on Health to identify four individ­uals for appointment to the Advisory Commission. Although all of the candidates have great qualifications, and bring extensive experience working in the District for decades, two of the four candi­dates are non-residents.

 

            Council Rule 277 requires District residency for all Council appointments. However, the Rule expressly provides that it may be waived. And, in fact, the Council has waived the Rule from time to time. Typically, the waiver is in the appointment resolution itself, but because these appointments do not require a Council resolution I am instead moving the attached measure.

 

 

cc:       All Councilmembers

            Council Officers