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B26-0045 • 2025

Consumer Protection Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

Consumer Protection Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

Housing Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Mendelson
Last action
2025-09-12
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the effective date follows approval and a congressional review period, though specific dates vary by section applicability (2007 or 2016) versus enactment.

Consumer Protection Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

This law clarifies that the District government and its employees are not considered merchants under consumer protection laws, except for landlord-tenant rules involving the DC Housing Authority.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends Chapter 39 of Title 28 of the D.C. Official Code to change how 'merchant' is defined.
  • States that the District government, its agencies, and employees acting in their official duties are not merchants under this law.
  • Requires the DC Housing Authority to follow landlord-tenant rules as a merchant when it acts as a landlord.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The District of Columbia government
  • Agencies and instrumentalities of the District
  • Employees acting within their official duties
  • The DC Housing Authority in its role as a landlord

Terms To Know

Merchant
A person or business that sells, leases, or transfers consumer goods or services in the ordinary course of business.
DC Housing Authority
The District agency subject to landlord-tenant rules under this chapter when acting as a landlord.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law only changes the definition of 'merchant' for consumer protection laws; it does not change other parts of the code.
  • Specific financial costs or savings are mentioned in a fiscal impact statement but are not detailed in this text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-09-12 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law L26-0035, Effective from Aug 30, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 009574

  2. 2025-07-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2025-07-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0105 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008007

  4. 2025-07-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0105

  6. 2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 16, 2025

  7. 2025-06-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  9. 2025-05-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0045 by the Committee of the Whole

  10. 2025-03-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Public Hearing on B26-0045 View Public Hearing Record

  11. 2025-02-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register

  12. 2025-02-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary

  13. 2025-01-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0045 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  14. 2025-01-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee of the Whole

  15. 2025-01-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0045 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Consumer Protection Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT

ACT 26-105
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
SULY 11, 2025
‘ToamendChapter39ofTitle28oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodetoclarifythatthe
DistrictgovernmentisnotamerchantundertheDistriet’sconsumerprotectionlawexceptwithrespecttotheapplicationofthatchapter’slandlord-tenantrelations
provisionstotheDistrictofColumbiaHousingAuthority.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Thatthis
actmay be citedasthe“Consumer ProtectionClarificationAmendment Act of2025”.
Sec.2.Section28-3901oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodeisamendedasfollows:(@)Subsection(a)(3)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(3)(A)“merchant”meansaperson,whetherorganizedoroperatingforprofitor
foranonprofitpurpose,whointheordinarycourseofbusinessdoesorwouldsell,lease,ortransfer,citherdirectlyorindirectly,consumergoodsorservices,orapersonwhointheordinarycourseofbusinessdoesorwouldsupplythegoodsorserviceswhichareorwouldbethesubject
matterofatradepractice,“(B)Exceptasprovidedinsubsection(e)ofthissection,“merchant”doesnotincludetheDistrictofColumbia,itsagenciesorinstrumentalities,oranyemployeethereofactingwithinthescopeoftheemployee’sofficialduties;”.(b)Subsection(c)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(€)Notwithstandinganyotherprovisionofthischapter,thischapter’sapplicationtolandlord-tenantrelationsshallincludethe Districtof Columbia Housing Authority’sactivitiesas
alandlord;except,thatthischaptershallnotbeconstruedtootherwiseapplytotheDistrictofColumbia,itsagenciesorinstrumentalities,oranyemployeethereofactingwithinthescopeoftheemployee'sofficialduties.”.
Sec.3.Applicability.(@)Section2(a)shallapplyasofJune12,2007.(b)Section2(b)shallapplyasofDecember19,2016.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Sec.4,Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember
24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)(1)).
pl —
Councilof the Districtof Columbia
MayorDistrictofColumbiaAPPROVED
JULY 11, 2025

DocketNo.826-0045
[2X]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
[XJACTION
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[XIVOICEVOTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
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[JROLLCALLVOTE~Resuit
FirstReading,CC
June3,2026
‘Approved
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
Pinto

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DocketNo.B26-0045-
[1X]TEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[X] ACTION, FinalReading,CC
[X]VOTE DATE June17,2025
[X]VOICE VOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
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Council Member Aye |Nay |NV_|AB | Rec|CouncilMember _|Aye| Nay| NV- Rec | CouncilMember _| Aye| Nay |NV | AB _|Rec
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Feder x Nadeau xruin x Pater x
X-IndicateVote AB -Absent. NV -Present,NotVoting Rec -Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
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