Government Recruitment and Retention Act of 2025

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
January 31, 2025

Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

Dear Secretary Smith,

Today, I, along with Councilmembers Christina Henderson, Robert White , Charles Allen , and
Wendell Felder, am introducing the “Government Recruitment and Retention Act of 2025.” Please
find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation.

In recent years, a number of District agencies —and, notably, several of our agencies responsible
for public safety —have experienced long- term, heightened vacancies among mission- critical
positions. Those vacancies have had a direct impact on those agencies’ ability to administer
programs, provide services to residents, and meet legislative mandates. For example, as of
December 2024, the District’s Department of Corrections (“DOC”) reported nearly 14 percent
(114 of 826) of all correctional officer positions as vacant. Correctional officers are largely
responsible for day -to-day operations at the DC Jail, not only supervising residents but often
directly administering programs and other services to residents. In addition to correctional officer
shortages, DOC has 222 other vacancies across the agency. As such, these vacancies have had a
direct effect on day -to-day DOC operations . Due to staffing shortfalls, DOC has increased
overtime and expanded responsibilities for existing staff, increasing burn- out among our
correctional officers . Without sufficient staff to administer programming, critical reentry and
resident enrichment programming has reduced or canceled, impacting the ability of residents to
successfully transition from the DC Jail at the end of their sentence. Additionally, word-of-mouth
about the heightened demands on staff due to staffing issues has, per reports to the Committee,
had a direct effect on interest in applying for available correctional officer positions.

Similarly, the Office of Unified Communications (“OUC”) has faced significant staffing shortages.
While OUC Director Heather McGaffin has reported recent success bringing on new staff and
maintaining minimal staffing targets , short-staffing at OUC has a direct effect on the agency’s
ability to retain and recruit new staff, especially as existing staff face increased, long-term overtime
demands. What’s more, increased demands on staff may contribute to reported dispatch errors and
affect the agency’s ability to meet national standards for call answer and dispatch times. As of
December 2024, there are 6 vacancies for call -takers and 16 dispatcher vacancies (12 police
dispatchers and 4 Fire and Emergency Services dispatchers).

As seen in just these two examples, long-term, heightened vacancies at District agencies can have
a drastic effect on those agencies’ ability to execute on the agency’s mission, provide services,
and, most critically, safeguard the health and safety of our residents. It is critical that the District
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take immediate action to develop and implement strategies to comprehensively address staffing
shortfalls across agencies. Of course, there is no panacea or simple solution to staffing shortfalls
as the needs of each agency and position are different. Thus, any solutions must be precisely
tailored to address the unique needs of that agency and the particular workforce and market being
targeted.

With those concerns in mind, the “ Government Recruitment and Retention Act of 2025” aims to
address issues with hiring and recruitment across District agencies, with a particular focus on
vacancies among mission -critical positions in our public safety agencies. Specifically, the
legislation would:

• Establish a new Director of Recruitment and Retention within the Office of the City
Administrator, tasked with identifying mission-critical positions in District agencies that
are either difficult-to-fill or with high attrition rates, identify the factors causing those
positions to be difficult-to-fill or suffer from high attrition (both District-specific and
nation-wide factors), transmit an annual report to the Mayor and Council with specific
recommendations to address identified issues, and, on an ad hoc basis, directly assist
agencies in implementing those recommendations—both from the annual report and
otherwise—and other strategies to address hiring and retention issues.

• Authorize the Mayor, to directly aid agencies in hiring and retention for difficult-to-fill
positions, to issue employee retention payments and new hire recruitment incentives of
up to $5,000 for the following positions impacting public safety:
o Correctional officers within the Department of Corrections;
o Call takers and call dispatchers within the Office of Unified Communications;
o Staff within the Department of Behavioral Health Community Response Team;
o Staff within the Child and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Service;
o Social workers, case managers, social services assistants, and social services
representatives within the Department of Human Services;
o Medical examiners within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner;
o Direct care positions within the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services; and
o Positions identified by the new Director of Recruitment and Retention that will
further our efforts to improve public safety.

• Require that the Mayor, on a quarterly basis, transmit a report to the Council on
vacancies among the difficult-to-fill positions listed above, including data on staff hired,
staff departed, the number and dollar value of recruitment incentives and retention
payments provided, and total spend on recruitment incentives and retention payments
year to date.

• Direct MPD to engage a contractor to develop and execute a campaign to encourage
District high-school age students to enroll in the cadet corps program.

• Direct the Department of Corrections to engage a contractor to develop and execute a
campaign to encourage District high-school age students to pursue a career with the
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Department of Corrections.

• Direct the Office of Unified Communications to engage a contractor to develop and
execute a campaign to encourage District high-school age students to pursue a career as
an OUC call taker or call dispatcher.

• Establish an internship program within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to
encourage high-school age students to work at OCME, and in pursue a career as a
medical examiner.

I previously introduced an identical version of this legislation in Council Period 25.

Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative and Committee
Director, Linn Groft, at lgroft@dccouncil.gov.

Thank you,

Brooke Pinto
Ward 2 Councilmember

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___________________________ ______________________________ 1
Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Brooke Pinto 2
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Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Charles Allen 6
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Councilmember Wendell Felder 11
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A BILL 15
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 19
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To establish recruitment incentives and retention payments for certain difficult-to-fill positions, 24
to require that they Mayor transmit a quarterly report to the Council on hiring and 25
retention rates and the number and value incentive and retention payments provided, to 26
establish a new Director of Recruitment and Retention within the Office of the City 27
Administration, to authorize the Metropolitan Police Department to contract with an 28
entity to execute a campaign to encourage high-school age students to enroll in the cadet 29
corps program, to authorize the Department of Corrections to contract with an entity to 30
execute a campaign to encourage high school-age students to pursue a career as a 31
correctional officer, and to direct the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to stand up an 32
internship program for high school-age students. 33
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 35
act may be cited as the “Government Recruitment and Retention Act of 2025”. 36
Sec. 2. (a)(1) For new employees hired after March 1, 2025, to eligible positions, the 37
Mayor shall provide a recruitment incentive of up to $5,000. 38
(2) For existing employees in eligible positions, the Mayor may provide a 39
retention payment of up to $5,000. 40

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(b) Each quarter, the Mayor shall transmit to the Council a report on recruitment and 41
retention of difficult-to-fill positions. The report shall include, for the preceding quarter, for 42
eligible positions: 43
(1) Broken down by position type: 44
(A) The number of staff hired; 45
(B) The number of staff departing, including, where known, the reason for 46
the departure; 47
(C) The number and total dollar amount of recruitment incentives 48
provided; and 49
(D) The number and total dollar amount of retention payments provided; 50
and 51
(2) Total spend on recruitment incentives and retention payments, and remaining 52
available budget for recruitment incentives and retention payments. 53
(c) For the purposes of this section, “eligible positions” means: 54
(A) Correctional officers within the Department of Corrections; 55
(B) Call takers and call dispatchers within the Office of Unified 56
Communications; 57
(C) Staff within the Department of Behavioral Health Community 58
Response Team; 59
(D) Staff within the Child and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Service; 60
(E) Social workers, case managers, social services assistants, and social 61
services representatives within the Department of Human Services; 62
(F) Medical examiners within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; 63

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(G) Direct care positions within the Department of Youth Rehabilitation 64
Services; and 65
(H) Positions identified by the Director of Recruitment and Retention 66
pursuant to section (b)(1) of this Act. 67
Sec. 3. (a) There is established, within the Office of the City Administrator, a Director of 68
Recruitment and Retention (“Director”). 69
(b) The Director shall: 70
(1) Identify mission-critical positions in District agencies that are difficult-to-fill 71
or have high attrition rates; 72
(2) Identify factors causing or contributing to these positions being difficult-to-fill 73
or suffering from high attrition, including issues of employee morale and enhanced mental health 74
support needs; 75
(3) On an annual basis, transmit a report to the Mayor and Council that includes 76
the following: 77
(A) A list of positions identified used paragraph (1) of this subsection, 78
including an explanation of data and standards used by the Director to identify these positions; 79
(B) A description of the factors, whether local or nationwide, causing or 80
contributing to these positions being difficult-to-fill or suffering from high attrition; 81
(C) Recommendations on incentives, interventions, and other changes to 82
agency law, policies, or practices to enhance recruitment and retention for those positions; and 83
(4) Work directly with agency leadership and staff to implement 84
recommendations proposed in the annual report required under paragraph (3) of this subsection, 85
or as otherwise necessary to address recruitment and retention issues within District agencies; 86

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Sec. 4. For School Year 2025-2026 and subsequent school years: 87
(1) The Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) shall engage a District-based entity to 88
develop and execute a campaign to encourage District high school-age students to enroll in 89
MPD’s cadet corps program; 90
(2) The Department of Corrections (“DOC”) shall engage a District-based entity to 91
develop and execute a campaign to encourage District high school-age students to pursue a 92
career as DOC correctional officers; and 93
(3) The Office of Unified Communications (“OUC”) shall engage a District-based entity 94
to develop and execute a campaign to encourage District high school-age students to pursue a 95
career as OUC call takers and call dispatchers; and 96
(4) The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (“OCME”) shall stand up an internship 97
program to encourage high school-age students to pursue a career with OCME. 98
Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement. 99
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 100
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 101
2006 (12 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 102
Sec. 6. Effective date. 103
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 104
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 105
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 106
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 107
Columbia Register. 108