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B26-0205 • 2025

Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment Program Amendment Act of 2025

Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment Program Amendment Act of 2025

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Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
at the request of the Mayor
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
Under Council Review
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status indicates the bill was re-referred to the Committee of the Whole, meaning it has not yet been passed or signed into law.

Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment Program Amendment Act of 2025

This bill changes rules for a District program that issues revenue bonds by removing the total spending limit, shortening review times to speed up approvals, and updating eligible business types.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the $850 million total limit on how much money can be issued through this bond program.
  • Shortens specific review timeframes from 30 days to 10 days in the application process.
  • Updates legal language to include limited liability companies alongside other business types eligible for bonds.
  • Changes which official is named as responsible for managing parts of the revenue bond law to the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
  • Expands the list of allowed uses for funds to cover any area authorized under section 490 of the Home Rule Act.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Organizations in the District seeking funding through industrial or commercial development bonds.
  • The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, who oversees parts of this program.
  • Limited liability companies that were not previously explicitly named as eligible entities.

Terms To Know

Industrial Revenue Bond
A type of bond issued by the District to help fund industrial and commercial development projects.
Forward Commitment Program
A program where the District agrees in advance to issue bonds for a project once certain conditions are met.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not state how much money will actually be used after removing the $850 million cap.
  • It is unclear if other parts of the District's budget must change to support faster processing times.
  • The text does not specify which specific projects or organizations have already applied under these new rules.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referred to Committee of the Whole

  2. 2026-02-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referral published.

  3. 2025-04-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0205 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  4. 2025-04-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Business and Economic Development

  5. 2025-03-25 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0205 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment Program Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
March 25, 2025
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20001
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
Enclosed for consideration and adoption by the Council of the District of Columbia is proposed
legislation entitled the “Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment Program Amendment
Act of 2025”.
The proposed legislation will amend Subchapter II-B of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the District of
Columbia Official Code,
relating to the issuance of District of Columbia revenue bonds pursuant
to section 490 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. Specifically, the proposed legislation
will remove the aggregate principal limit set in the Industrial Revenue Bond Forward
Commitment Program Act of 1995, streamline the revenue bond approval process, and update
certain language in the existing revenue bond law.
These proposed changes will increase the capacity of the District’s revenue bond program and
improve the speed with which the District can process revenue bond applications. The quicker
turnaround provided by these amendments will allow a larger number of organizations around
the District to meet funding and timing deadlines in a fast-paced real estate market.
I urge the Council to take prompt and favorable action on the enclosed legislation.
Sincerely,
Muriel E. Bowser
Enclosure
1
2 hairman Phil Mendelson
3 at the request of the Mayor
4
5
6 AB~L
7
8
9
10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
11
12
13
14 To amend Subchapter II-B of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the District of Columbia Official Code
15 relating to the Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment Program for the issuance of
16 District of Columbia revenue bonds pursuant to section 490 of the District of Columbia
1 7 Home Rule Act.
18
19 B E IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , That this
20 act may be cited as the "Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment Program Amendment
21 Act of 2025".
22 Sec. 2. Title 47 of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended as follows:
23 (a) Section 47-340.01 is amended as follows:
24 (1) Paragraph (1) is amended by striking the phrase "limited partnership," and
25 inserting the phrase "limited partnership, limited liability company ," in its place.
26 (2) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase "Assistant City Administrator
27 for Economic Development, Deputy Mayor for Financial Management" and inserting the phrase
28 "Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development" in its place.
29 (3) Paragraph (10) is amended by striking the phrase "and industrial and
30 commercial development authorized pursuant to this subchapter" and inserting the phrase
1

2
“industrial and commercial development, and any other area authorized under section 490 of the 31
Home Rule Act and pursuant to this subchapter” in its place 32
(b) Section 47-340.02 is amended by striking the phrase “multiple separate series in an 33
aggregate principal amount not to exceed $850,000,000” and inserting the phrase “multiple 34
separate series” in its place. 35
(c) Section 47-340.03 is amended as follows: 36
(1) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the number “30” and inserting the 37
number “10” in its place. 38
(2) Subsection (b) is amended by: 39
(A) Striking the phrase “30 days” and inserting the phrase “10 days” in its 40
place; and 41
(B) Striking the phrase “30-day” and inserting the phrase “10-day” in its 42
place. 43
(d) Section 47-340.07(a) is repealed. 44
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 45
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 46
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 47
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 48
Sec. 4. Effective date. 49
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 50
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of Congressional review as 51
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 52

3
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 53
Columbia Register. 54
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
BRIAN SCHWALB
ATTORNEY GENERAL
LEGAL COUNSEL DIVISION
M
EMORANDUM
T
O: Tomás Talamante
Director
Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs
F
ROM: Megan D. Browder
Deputy Attorney General
Legal Counsel Division
DATE: June 12, 2024
S
UBJECT: Legal Sufficiency Review of the “Industrial Revenue Bond Forward Commitment
Program Amendment Act of 2024”
(AE-24-361)
___________________________________________________________________________________
This is to Certify that this Office has reviewed the Industrial Revenue Bond Forward
Commitment Program Amendment Act of 2024” and found it to be legally sufficient. If you have any
questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to call me at (202) 724-5524.
_________________________________
Megan D. Browder