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:             July 6, 2023

 

 

This memorandum is to request the following measure be placed on the July 11^th legislative meeting agenda:

 

• Council Period 25 Recess Rules Amendment Resolution of 2023

 

A recess rules resolution is typically adopted by the Council prior to its summer recess.  This measure would make a number of substantive changes to the Council’s Rules. 

 

First, it allows the Executive to transmit to the Council during recess grant budget modifications to allow for the University of the District of Columbia to accept and spend any federal grants and to allow the Executive to accept and spend any federal grants that come in as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or the Inflation Reduction Act.  This rule is for the 2023 recess only.

 

Second, it allows the Committee on Business and Economic Development and the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor to hold hearings and meet during the recess for matters related to sexual harassment within the District government.

 

Third, as discussed at our June 27^th Administrative Meeting, it repeals the Council’s vaccine mandate.

 

Fourth, it aligns the Rules with regard to registering to testify for hearings to be consistent with the Council’s new Hearing Management System which should be deployed to all committees by the end of the recess.

 

Fifth, it makes a number of clarifications to the Racial Equity Impact Assessment process at the request of the Council Office of Racial Equity.

 

Sixth, the resolution clarifies that Councilmembers and staff need to attend ethics training only once per Council Period, except that the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability may require more frequent training for certain public filers (e.g. Councilmembers).

   The draft measure is attached.  Please call me or Mr. Evan Cash if you have any questions at (202) 724-7002. 

 

 

cc:        All Councilmembers

            Council Officers