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B26-0084 • 2025

Youth Workforce Development Programs Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Youth Workforce Development Programs Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Children Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Bonds
Last action
2025-02-28
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill is an emergency act with a maximum duration of 90 days from approval, though official status notes indicate it expires May 21, 2025.

Youth Workforce Development Programs Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This emergency law requires background and traffic record checks for employees and volunteers at host employers who have direct contact with or unsupervised access to youth in District-run summer employment programs.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the definition of a 'covered child or youth services provider' to include employees or volunteers of host employers participating in summer youth programs administered by the Department of Employment Services if they have direct contact with or unsupervised access to participants.
  • Authorizes the Department of Employment Services to conduct criminal background checks and motor vehicle record checks for these specific employees and volunteers.
  • Updates rules under the Youth Employment Act of 1979 regarding host employer participation.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Employees and volunteers at host employers or grantees participating in youth employment programs who have direct contact with or unsupervised access to youth participants.
  • The Department of Employment Services, which is authorized to perform the checks.

Terms To Know

Host employer
A business participating in summer youth programs administered by the District government where employees or volunteers may interact with youth participants.
Covered child or youth services provider
Under this law, a term that now includes specific host employer staff who have direct contact with or unsupervised access to youth in these programs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is an emergency measure and will remain in effect for no longer than 90 days following approval.
  • The official text does not specify the exact cost of performing these new background checks, only that a fiscal impact statement was adopted.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0014 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 002016, Expires on May 21, 2025

  2. 2025-02-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0014, Expires on May 21, 2025

  3. 2025-02-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2025-02-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Feb 26, 2025

  5. 2025-02-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-02-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0084 Introduced by Councilmember Bonds at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Youth Workforce Development Programs Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-14
INTHE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
To amend, on an emergency basis,theCriminal Background Checks forthe Protectionof
ChildrenActof2004toexpandthedefinitionofa coveredchildoryouthservicesprovidertoincludeemployeesorvolunteersofhostemployersparticipatinginsummeryouthprogramsadministeredbytheDepartmentofEmploymentServices;andtoamendtheYouthEmploymentActof1979toauthorizetheDepartmentofEmploymentServicestoconductbackgroundchecksandmotorvehiclerecordchecksofemployeesor‘volunteersofa hostemployerorgranteewithdirectcontactorunsupervisedaccessto
youthparticipatinginyouthemploymentprograms.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“YouthWorkforceDevelopmentProgramsEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section202(3)oftheCriminalBackgroundChecksfortheProtectionofChildrenActof2004,effectiveApril13,2005(D.C.Law15-353;D.C.OfficialCode§4-1501.02(3)),isamendedtoreadasfollows:“@)“Coveredchildoryouthservicesprovider”:“(A)MeansanyDistrictgovernmentagencyprovidingdirectservicestochildrenoryouthandanyprivateentitythatislicensedbyorcontractswiththeDistricttoprovidedirectservicestochildrenoryouth,orforthebenefitofchildrenoryouth,thataffectthehealth,safety,andwelfareofchildrenoryouth,includingindividualandgroupcounseling,therapy,casemanagement,supervision,ormentoring.“(B)Theterm“coveredchildoryouthservicesprovider”doesnotincludefosterparentsorgrantees.
“(C©)Notwithstandingsubparagraph(B)ofthisparagraph,theterm“coveredchildoryouthservicesprovider”includesanemployeeorvolunteerofa hostemployerorgranteeparticipatinginprogramsestablishedpursuanttosection2aoftheYouthEmploymentActof1979,effectiveJanuary5,1980(D.C.Law3-46;D.C.OfficialCode§32-242),whohasdirectcontactwithorunsupervisedaccesstoyouthparticipatinginsuchprograms.”.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Sec.3.Section2aoftheYouthEmploymentActof1979,effectiveJanuary5,1980(D.C.
Law 3-46; D.C. OfficialCode § 32-242), isamended as follows:
(a)Subsection(h)isamendedasfollows:(1)Paragraph(1)isamendedbystrikingthesemicolonandinsertingthephrase“;and”initsplace.(2)Paragraph(2)isrepealed.(3)Paragraph(3)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“closingceremony”and
insertingtheword“activities”initsplace.
(b)A newsubsection(i)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(i)TheDepartmentofEmploymentServicesisauthorizedtoperformcriminalbackgroundchecksandtrafficrecordchecksforemployeesandvolunteersofhostemployersorgranteesparticipatinginprogramsestablishedpursuanttothissectioninaccordancewiththeCriminalBackgroundChecksfortheProtectionofChildrenActof2004,effectiveApril13,2005(D.C.Law15-353;D.C.OfficialCode§4-1501.01etseq.).”.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.
TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-204.12(a)).
|\irman,
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia

Districtof ColumbiaAPPROVED
FEBRUARY20, 2025
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0084
[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XTACTION

FinalReading
[<1VOTEDATE February4,2025
[Xx]VOICEVOTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE-Resutt

CounciMember [Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Ree
ChairmanMendetson|x| | | |_| Hendersonx Pinto x
Allen x LewisGeorge| x R.White x
Bonds x McDuffie x
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X-IndicateVote ‘AB~Absent NV.Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused CERTIFICATIONRECORD
S$cretalytotheCounc Date