B26-0148 • 2025

Consumer Protection Clarification Congressional Review Emergency 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: 2025-03-28
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status indicates the act expires on June 18, 2025, which aligns with the emergency provision limiting its effect to no more than 90 days after enactment.

Consumer Protection Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This law clarifies that the District government and its employees are not considered merchants under consumer protection laws, except for specific landlord activities by 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 consumer protection laws.
Requires the DC Housing Authority to follow landlord-tenant rules in this chapter when it acts as a landlord.
Sets specific past dates for when these changes apply: June 12, 2007, for general merchant definitions and November 3, 2022, for housing authority provisions.

Who It Names or Affects

The District of Columbia government
District agencies and instrumentalities
Employees of the District acting in their official duties
The District of Columbia Housing Authority

Terms To Know

Merchant: A person or business that sells, leases, or transfers consumer goods or services as part of its regular work.
Instrumentalities: Organizations created by the government to carry out specific public tasks.

Limits and Unknowns

This act is an emergency measure and will remain in effect for no longer than 90 days after it takes full legal force.
The text does not specify if this law changes how private businesses or individuals are treated under consumer protection laws.

Bill History

2025-03-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Act A26-0032 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 003334, Expires on Jun 18, 2025
2025-03-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0032, Expires on Jun 18, 2025
2025-03-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2025-03-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Mar 25, 2025
2025-03-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council
2025-03-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
B26-0148 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Consumer Protection Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-32
INTHE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
MARCH 20, 2025
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,duetocongressionalreview,Chapter39ofTitle28oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodetoclarifythattheDistrictgovernmentisnotamerchantundertheDistriet’sconsumerprotectionlawexceptwithrespecttotheapplicationofthatchapter'slandlord-tenantrelationsprovisionstotheDistrictofColumbiaHousingAuthority.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmaybecitedasthe“ConsumerProtectionClarificationCongressionalReviewEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section28-3901 of theDistrictof Columbia OfficialCode isamended as follows:
(a)Subsection(a)(3)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“@)(A)“merchant”meansaperson,whetherorganizedoroperatingforprofitorforanonprofitpurpose,whointheordinarycourseofbusinessdoesorwouldsell,lease,ortransfer,eitherdirectlyorindirectly,consumergoodsorservices,orapersonwhointheordinarycourseofbusinessdoesorwouldsupplythegoodsorserviceswhichareorwouldbethesubject,
matterofatradepractice.“(B) Except as providedinsubsection(e)ofthis section,“merchant” does
notincludetheDistrictofColumbia,itsagenciesorinstrumentalities,oranyemployeethereofactingwithinthescopeoftheemployee’sofficialduties;”.(b)Subsection(¢)isamendedtoreadasfollow:“(©Notwithstandinganyotherprovisionofthischapter,thischapter'sapplicationtolandlord-tenantrelationsshallincludetheDistrictofColumbiaHousingAuthority’sactivitiesasalandlord;except,thatthischaptershallnotbeconstruedtootherwiseapplytotheDistrictofColumbia,itsagenciesorinstrumentalities,oranyemployeethereofactingwithinthescopeoftheemployee'sofficialduties.”

Sec.3.Applicability.(a)Section2(a)shallapplyasofJune12,2007.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(b)Section2(b)shallapplyasofNovember3,2022.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Efiectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;
D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-204.12(2)).
Abairman
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia
DistrictofColumbiaAPPROVED
MARCH 20, 2025
wv
COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[X]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR

DaACTION FinalReading,CC
DavoTeDATE March4,2025
[X1VoIcEvote ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT

[JROLLCALLVOTE~Resutt

[CouncMember[Aye[Nay|Nv|AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye[NayNV [AB[Rec|CouncitMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec
ChairmanMendetson|x Henderson x Pinto x
Allen x LewisGeorge_| x RWhite
Bonds x McDuffie x
Felder x Nadeau x;
Frumin x Parker x
X-IndicateVote ‘ABAbsent NV-Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
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