Read the full stored bill text
October 22, 2025
Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Smith,
Today, I am introducing the Food Policy Council Procurement Amendment Act of 2025 along
with my colleagues Councilmember Christina Henderson, Councilmember Janeese Lewis
George, Councilmember Matthew Frumin, and Councilmember Brooke Pinto. This legislation
would change the reporting timeline for the Food Policy Council to every three years and expand
their authority to evaluate food procurement practices across the District government.
The District spends more than $62 million on food every year across multiple agencies.
Currently, there is no single place in the District to support all food-buying agencies with
complying with and meeting all environmental, nutrition, and economic requirements and goals.
The Food Policy Council currently compiles all food-related legislation and District-wide
commitments made by the Mayor in national or international pacts. They already have federal
funding to begin the work of evaluating our food procurement practices, so this legislation gives
them the local authority to continue this work in the future.
This legislation simplifies the reporting scope and schedule for the Food Policy Council. Most
state and local governments complete a food system assessment every three years, and this
legislation would align District law with that standard in lieu of the current annual report.
Additionally, this legislation will ensure that the Food Policy Council has authority to report on
food jobs, urban agriculture area, and food insecurity—metrics that they are already responsible
for in the Sustainable DC data dashboard.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Council and in the Executive to improve
our food procurement strategies to align with our environmental, social, health, and economic
values. Please contact my Deputy Chief of Staff at cshaw@dccouncil.gov if you have any
questions about this legislation.
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Sincerely,
Zachary Parker
Ward 5 Councilmember
Chair, Committee on Youth Affairs
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Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Zachary Parker 3
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Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Matthew Frumin 8
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Councilmember Brooke Pinto 13
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A BILL 17
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 21
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To amend the Food Policy Council and Director Establishment Act of 2014 to change the 26
reporting timeline and expand the authority of the Food Policy Council to evaluate food 27
procurement practices across the District government. 28
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this act may 30
be cited as the “Food Policy Council Procurement Amendment Act of 2025”. 31
Sec. 2. The Food Policy Council and Director Establishment Act of 2014, effective 32
March 10, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-191; D.C. Official Code § 48-311 et seq.), is amended as follows: 33
(a) Section 3(c) is amended to read as follows: 34
“(c) On September 30, 2026, and triennially thereafter, the Food Policy Council shall 35
provide a report to the Council of the District of Columbia on the state of the local food system, 36
including the food economy and food access across the District. The report shall identify national 37
best practices in food policy, assess District food access, including an identification of low food 38
access areas (“food deserts”), assess District food assets, recommend revisions to regulations and 39
policies that affect the local food economy and food access, and identify funding priorities.”. 40
(b) Section 5 is amended as follows: 41
(1) Subsection (b) is amended as follows: 42
(A) Paragraph (5) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting 43
a semicolon in its place; 44
(B) Paragraph (6) is amended by striking the period and inserting the 45
phrase “; and” in its place. 46
(C) A new paragraph (7) is added to read as follows: 47
“(7) Oversee efforts to improve the quality of institutional food purchased with 48
District local funds, including in schools, jails, and shelters, to make food procured for District 49
institutions more nutritious and sustainable while supporting the local economy.”. 50
(2) A new subsection (c) is added to read as follows: 51
“(c) To achieve the objectives under subsection (b)(7), the Director shall: 52
“(1) Advise food-procuring agencies on developing solicitations and contracts 53
that: 54
“(A) incorporate best practices for nutrition, sustainability, and local food 55
procurement; 56
“(B) include all applicable District laws and standards; and 57
“(C) require vendors to regularly report on purchased food products to 58
enable assessment of compliance with purchasing goals; 59
“(2) Collaborate with the Office of Contracting and Procurement to ensure that 60
food service solicitations reach a wide audience of high-quality prospective vendors; 61
“(3) Serve on evaluation panels to contribute industry and food sector subject 62
matter expertise in procurement determinations; 63
“(4) Consolidate food purchasing data from all food-procuring agencies to track 64
District-wide performance on food procurement goals, including local procurement, 65
sustainability, and nutrition; and 66
“(5) Develop and maintain food procurement standards, practices, and templates 67
to be used in all procurements, in collaboration with DC Health, Department of Small and Local 68
Business Development, the Department of Energy and the Environment, and the Office of 69
Contracting and Procurement.”. 70
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 71
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 72
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 73
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 74
Sec. 4. Effective date. 75
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 76
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 77
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 78
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 79
Columbia Register. 80