Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act of 2025

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______________________________ 1
Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 2
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A BILL 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To establish as an independent agency the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety 15
Agency to coordinate the District’s violence prevention efforts; to amend the 16
Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016 and the Attorney 17
General for the District of Columbia Clarification and Elected Term Amendment Act of 18
2010 to make conforming amendments; to amend the Office of the Deputy Mayor for 19
Public Safety and Justice Establishment Act of 2011 to study on how to enhance 20
recruitment tactics for youth prospects for the Metropolitan Police Departments and 21
enhance retention of senior officers; to amend the Omnibus Police Reform Amendment 22
Act of 2000 to clarify the standards of eligibility to be a member of the Metropolitan 23
Police Department; and to amend the Government Employer-Assisted Housing 24
Amendment Act of 1999 to enhance the First Responder benefits for the Employee-25
Assisted Housing Program. 26
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 28
act may be cited as the “Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act of 2025”. 29
TITLE I. THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT AND SAFETY 30
AGENCY. 31
Sec. 101. Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Agency; establishment. 32
There is established as an independent government agency, the Office of Neighborhood 33
Engagement and Safety Agency (“ONES”), which shall be headed by a Director. Within ONES 34
shall be Office of the Office of Violence Prevention and Health Equity and the Office of 35
Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (“NEAR Offices”), established by the Neighborhood 36
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Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016, effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-37
125; D.C. Official Code § 7–2411 et seq.), (“NEAR Act”). 38
Sec. 102. Purpose, duties. 39
(a) The purpose of ONES shall include to coordinate and lead and direct the NEAR 40
Offices. 41
Sec. 103. Director; appointment, term. 42
The Director shall: 43
(1) Have at least 5 years of relevant experience in criminal justice and public 44
health-based approaches to violence, including matters affecting the deterrence of violent 45
criminal behavior; 46
(2) Be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council, 47
pursuant to section 2(a) of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 19790 (D.C. Law 2-48
142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01(a)); and 49
(3) Serve a 6-year term. 50
Sec. 104. Director, duties. 51
The Director shall: 52
(1) Also be the director of the NEAR Offices; 53
(2) Administer the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety 54
Administration Fund, established by section 106; and 55
(3) Administer the Cure the Streets Program, established pursuant to section 108f 56
of the Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Amendment Act of 2018, effective May 10, 2019 57
(D.C. Law 25-98, D.C. Official Code § 1–301.88f). 58
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Sec 105. Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Administration Fund; 59
establishment. 60
(a) There is established as a special fund the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and 61
Safety Administration Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by the Director of the Office 62
of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Agency (“ONES”) in accordance with subsections (c) 63
and (d) of this section. 64
(b) Revenue from the following sources shall be deposited in the Fund: 65
(1) Funds appropriated by the District; 66
(2) Grants; 67
(3) Donations from the public; and 68
(4) Donations from private entities. 69
(c) Money in the Fund shall be used to fund the activities of the ONES, including: 70
(1) Providing stipends to eligible participants; and 71
(2) Appropriate overhead or administrative expenses related to the administration 72
ONES and the Fund. 73
(d)(1) The money deposited into the Fund, and interest earned, shall not revert to the 74
unrestricted fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a fiscal 75
year, or at any other time. 76
(2) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds 77
appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation. 78
TITLE II. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS 79
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Sec. 201. The Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2016, 80
effective June 30, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-125; D.C. Official Code § 7–2411 passim.), is amended as 81
follows: 82
(a) Section 101 (D.C. Official Code § 7-2411), the Office of Neighborhood Safety and 83
Engagement, is amended as follows: 84
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(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “(“ONSE”).” and inserting 86
the phrase “(ONSE”)” within the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Agency, 87
established by section 101 of Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act, as introduced on February 88
12, 2024 (Bill 25-___).” 89
(b) Section 104 (D.C. Official Code § 7-781), the Office of the Office of Violence 90
Prevention and Health Equity, is amended as follows: 91
(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “within the Department of 92
Health”. 93
(2) Subsection (c) is amended by striking the phrase “the Mayor” and inserting 94
the phrase "the Director of the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Agency” in its 95
place. 96
(c) Section 103 (D.C, Official Code 7-2413) is repealed. 97
(d) Section 103a (D.C. Official Code 7-2414) is amended by striking the phrase “The 98
Mayor, pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, approved 99
October 21. 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), may” and inserting the 100
phrase “The Director of the Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act , in accordance with Title I of 101
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the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, approved October 21. 1968 (82 Stat. 102
1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), may” in its place. 103
Sec. 202. Section 108f of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia Clarification 104
and Elected Term Amendment Act of 2010., effective May 27, 2010 (D.C. Law 18-160, D.C. 105
Official Code § 1–301.88f), is repealed. 106
TITLE III. DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PUBLIC SAFETY STUDY. 107
Sec. 301. Section 3022(c) of Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice 108
Establishment Act of 2011, effective September 14, 2011 (D.C. Law 19-21; D.C. Official Code § 109
1-301.191(c)), is amended as follows: 110
( a) Paragraph (6) is repealed. 111
( b) A new paragraph (8) is added to read as follows: 112
“(8) By January 1, 2025, the Office shall prepare and submit to the Mayor and Council a 113
report identifying modern recruitment tactics for the Metropolitan Police Department for new 114
recruits from the District and surrounding jurisdictions and best practices to retain senior 115
officers.”. 116
TITLE IV. POLICE HIRING PRACTICE. 117
Sec. 401. Section 202 of the Omnibus Police Reform Amendment Act of 2000 effective 118
October 4, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-160; D.C. Official Code § 5-107.01), is amended as follows: 119
(a) Subsection (e)(1) is amended to read as follows: 120
“(1) Successfully completed a High School Degree or GED;”. 121
(2) A new subsection (g) is added to read as follows: 122
“(g) An applicant shall not be deemed ineligible for appointment as a sworn member of 123
the Metropolitan Police Department based on the applicant’s credit score.”. 124
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TITLE V. FIRST RESPONDER HOUSING IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LOAN 125
Sec. 501. The Government Employer-Assisted Housing Amendment Act of 1999 126
effective May 9, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-96; D.C. Official Code § 42-2501 et seq.), is amended as 127
follows: 128
(a) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 42-2502) is amended as follows: 129
(1) Paragraph (3) is amended by striking the word “and”. 130
(2) Paragraph (4) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase “; 131
and” in its place. 132
(3) A new paragraph (5) is added to read as follows: 133
“(5) A interest free loan of up to $202,000 pursuant to section 6b.”. 134
(b) Section 6a (D.C. Official Code § 42-2505.01) is amended as follows: 135
(1) The section heading is amended to read as follows: 136
“Sec. 6a. Educator grant.”. 137
(2) Strike the phrase “first-responder or” wherever it appears. 138
(c) A new section 6b is added as follows: 139
“Sec. 6b. First-responder housing. 140
“(a)(1) In addition to the assistance provided in sections 5(b-1) and 6, the Department 141
shall make available a deferred interest-free loan of up to $202,000 to provide financial 142
assistance for the purchase of a housing unit to each first-responder who is a Participant. 143
“(2) The deferred interest free loan shall be granted to equal up to 20 percent of 144
the down cost of the housing unit. 145
“(b) In order to receive the financial assistance provided by this section, for the purchase 146
of a housing unit under this section, a Participant must agree to a 15-year service obligation, 147
which shall begin at the date of settlement on the purchase of the housing unit, or, if the 148
Participant is not yet a District employee on the date of settlement, on the Participant’s first day 149
of employment with the District. 150
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“(c) The deferred interest free loan will be forgiven at a rate of 5% for each year of 151
service obligation for the first 10 years of the loan. After the first 10 years it will be forgiven at a 152
rate of 10% for the final 5 years of the service obligation. 153
“(d) The loan may be transferred once to the deed of a new housing unit so long as the 154
new housing unit is located within the District of Columbia. 155
“(e) The deferred interest free loan shall convert into a loan with interest to be repaid by 156
the Participant if: 157
“(1) Within 5 years after the date of settlement on the purchase of the housing 158
unit, the housing unit is sold, transferred, or ceases to be the principal residence of the 159
Participant; or 160
“(2) The first-responder Participant does not complete the 15-year service 161
obligation required by subsection (b) of this section. 162
“(f) For the purposes of this section, the term "service obligation" means employment as 163
a first-responder.”. 164
TITLE 6. GENERAL PROVISIONS 165
Sec. 601. Fiscal impact statement. 166
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 167
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 168
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 169
Sec. 602. Effective date. 170
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 171
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 172
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 173
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 174