DC Youth Links App 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

November 17, 2025

Nyasha Howard, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004

Dear Secretary Howard,

Today, along with Councilmember Christina Henderson, I am introducing the Youth Links App Act of
2025. Please find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation.

Employment access remains a critical challenge for youth in DC. Throughout numerous conversations over
the last several years, I have heard from young people who are trying to stay out of trouble and build a
positive future for themselves that one of the biggest challenges they face is needing to find ways to earn
money. Despite numerous programs available for in-school and out-of-school youth, navigating the web of
opportunities as a young person can be onerous. Many young people express that they struggle to find
productive work opportunities that are flexible with their school and family responsibilities. Meanwhile,
many employers indicate that they are ready and willing to provide opportunities for young people, but do
not know how to find and connect with those young people.

This bill requires the Deputy Mayor for Education (“DME”) to create the DC Youth Links app and website,
a coordinated communication platform to bridge the opportunity and equity gap by streamlining
connections to low -barrier, tailored job opportunities for young people . The bill requires DME to vet
employers before they post opportunities on the app, prioritize recruiting employers from across all eight
wards, work with young people to ensure they are ready for the workforce, and collect data to evaluate the
program.

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

Thank you,

Brooke Pinto
Councilmember, Ward 2
Chairwoman, Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety
Council of the District of Columbia

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_____________________________ _____________________________ 1
Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Brooke Pinto 2
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A BILL 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To direct the Deputy Mayor for Education to contract with a third-party contractor to develop a 15
smartphone application that directly connects youth and young adults in the District to 16
flexible, paid work opportunities in the private sector. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may 19
be cited as the “DC Youth Links App Act of 2025”. 20
Sec. 2. Definitions. 21
For the purposes of this title, the term: 22
(1) “Economic hardship” means circumstances that significantly hinder an 23
individual's ability to access or sustain employment opportunities and shall include the following 24
conditions: homelessness or housing instability; lack of a high school diploma or general 25
education development test or not being on track to complete a high school diploma or general 26
education development test; pregnancy or parenting youth; current or prior involvement in the 27
juvenile or criminal legal systems; living with a disability; or being within or aging out of the 28
foster care system. 29
(2) “Smartphone” means an electronic device capable of Internet access, data 30
storage, and communication features through text, email, and similar digital functionalities. 31

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(3) “Smartphone application” means a software program developed to operate on 32
a smartphone with specific functionalities or services, including data processing, communication, 33
Internet access, and access to online resources. 34
(4) “Youth” means an individual who is at least 14 years of age and under 24 35
years of age. 36
(5) “Youth participant” means any youth who has provided informed consent and 37
has registered and created an account on the smartphone application. 38
Sec. 3. Establishment of a smartphone application and website for youth employment. 39
(a) The Deputy Mayor for Education (“DME”) shall hire a contractor to establish a 40
centralized platform to directly connect youth to paid employment opportunities called DC 41
Youth Links, which shall be administered by the DME. DME shall oversee the development and 42
operation of DC Youth Links and streamline employment pathways and reduce barriers to 43
workforce entry for District youth. 44
(b) DME shall have the authority to issue grants or enter into contracts or partnership 45
agreements for the development of DC Youth Links. 46
(c) DC Youth Links shall be accessible through a smartphone application and through a 47
publicly accessible website. The smartphone application and website shall: 48
(1) Maintain a centralized platform of paid employment opportunities for District 49
youth; 50
(2) Provide users the ability to filter employment opportunities by: 51
(A) Skills required; 52
(B) Hourly wage; 53
(C) Location; and 54

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(D) Hours available. 55
(3) Provide users the ability to apply for employment opportunities through the 56
app and website; 57
(4) Feature a feedback tool for youth and employers to rate their experience; 58
(5) Collect and report data to DME pursuant to section 5 of this Act; and 59
(6) Comply with federal and District data privacy standards. 60
Sec. 4. Requirements and eligibility. 61
(a) DME shall: 62
(1) Require employers to complete training on applicable federal and District 63
labor laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Minimum Wage Act Revision Act of 64
1992, effective March 25, 1993 (D.C. Law 9-248; D.C. Official Code § 32-1003 et al), the Child 65
Labor Amendments Act of 1976 (D.C. Law 1-68; D.C. Official Code § 32-201 et al), workplace 66
safety standards outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and relevant reporting 67
requirements, prior to accessing DC Youth Links; 68
(2) Develop terms and conditions of use for employers, employer onboarding, and 69
job postings; 70
(3) Create an agreement for all participating employers to adhere to the terms and 71
conditions, including paragraph (1) of this subsection; 72
(4) Implement a vetting process to evaluate and approve new employers; 73
(5) Recruit employers located in all eight wards, offering opportunities that are 74
suitable for youth employment and prioritizing opportunities that are public transit accessible; 75
and 76
(6) Develop and implement a public engagement campaign to promote youth 77

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participation, including strategies to engage youth experiencing economic hardship. 78
(b) Employers shall: 79
(1) Be licensed to do business in the District; 80
(2) Respond to workplace abuse reports within 5 business days, unless more 81
immediate attention is warranted; 82
(3) Provide information on youth labor laws and training on workplace 83
expectations to youth participants; and 84
(4) Comply with any other requirements deemed appropriate by DME. 85
(c) Eligible youth participants shall be District residents. 86
Sec. 5. Reporting requirements. 87
(a) On October 1 of the year after the establishment of DC Youth Links, and annually 88
thereafter, the DME shall publish on its website the following information regarding DC Youth 89
Links for the previous year: 90
(1) Total number of youth accounts created on DC Youth Links, disaggregated by 91
age, sex, race/ethnicity, ward of residence, and individuals with disabilities; 92
(2) Total number of employers participating in DC Youth Links, categorized by 93
industry, location, average length of employment, average wage, and number of youth employed; 94
and 95
(3) The total number of youth participants placed in employment opportunities, 96
disaggregated by: 97
(A) Job type categorized by full-time, part-time, or internship; 98
(B) Employer industry; 99
(C) Average length of employment; 100

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(D) Average hourly wage or total earnings of youth participants; and 101
(E) Job site location; 102
(5) The average time between a youth participant creating an account and 103
securing a job placement; 104
(6) Number of reports of workplace abuse, safety violations, skill mismatches, 105
and employer resolution; and 106
(7) Feedback from employers and youth participants on the quality of job matches 107
and youth readiness. 108
Sec. 6. Fiscal impact statement. 109
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 110
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 111
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 112
Sec. 7. Effective date. 113
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 114
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 115
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 116
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 117
Columbia Register. 118