PR26-0160 • 2025

Certified Business Enterprise Program Compliance and Enforcement Support Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: at the request of the Mayor
Last action: 2025-05-16
Official status: Approved
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on funding for enforcement actions or penalties for non-compliance.

Emergency Rules for Certified Business Enterprises

This resolution declares an emergency and updates rules for businesses seeking certification as local enterprises in the District of Columbia.

What This Bill Does

Declares an emergency situation related to updating rules for businesses applying for CBE status.
Requires businesses applying for CBE status to be independently owned and operated.
Establishes uniform hearing procedures for handling complaints about compliance with these rules.

Who It Names or Affects

Businesses seeking certification as local enterprises in the District of Columbia
The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD)

Terms To Know

Certified Business Enterprise (CBE): A business that is certified by the government as a local enterprise, giving it certain advantages in bidding for contracts.
Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD): The agency responsible for certifying businesses as CBEs and enforcing related rules.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify the exact penalties for non-compliance with the new requirements.
Does not provide details on how uniform hearing procedures will be implemented.
Effective date is immediate upon passage, but specific dates are not provided in the summary text.

Bill History

2025-05-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Resolution R26-0115, Effective from May 06, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 005866
2025-05-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-05-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Approved with Resolution Number R26-0115
2025-04-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council with comments from the Committee on Business and Economic Development
2025-04-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-03-26 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
PR26-0160 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Certified Business Enterprise Program Compliance and Enforcement Support Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

A RESOLUTION

26-115

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

May 6, 2025

To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Small and
Certified Business Enterprise Development and Assistance Act of 2005 to require a
business applying for certification as a local business enterprise to be independently
owned and operated, to amend minimum certified business enterprise performance
requirements in a certified joint venture, and to establish uniform hearing procedures for
enforcement actions.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Certified Business Enterprise Program Compliance and
Enforcement Support Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025”.

Sec. 2. (a) A Certified Business Enterprise (“CBE”) is a business enterprise certified by
the Department of Small and Local Business Development (“DSLBD”) as a local business
enterprise.
(b) Businesses with CBE certification may receive preference when submitting bids or proposals
for procurement and contracting opportunities.
(c) There are currently over 2,000 businesses participating in the District’s CBE program.
(d) In 2021, 2022, and 2023, the Council passed a series of Local Business Enterprise
Clarification Emergency Amendment Acts (“the Acts”) that required local businesses
participating in the CBE program to be independently owned and operated, thereby furthering
the spirit of the Small and Certified Business Enterprise Development and Assistance Act of
2005, effective October 20, 2005 (D.C. Law 16-33; D.C. Official Code § 2-218.01 et seq.).
(e) Emergency legislation is needed to reinstate the most recent version of the provisions
passed by Council in the Acts.
(f) Further, following a recent revocation hearing before the Office of Administrative Hearings,
DSLBD determined that uniform hearing procedures for complaints needed to be established
expeditiously to ensure procedural consistency and fairness for businesses, as well as increased
effectiveness and efficiency in departmental compliance and enforcement procedures.
(g) Accordingly, emergency legislation is needed to maintain provisions passed by the
Council in the Certified Business Enterprise Program Compliance and Enforcement Support
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

Emergency Amendment Act of 2024, which clarified and updated procedures under section
2363 of the act.
(h) Failure to move these amendments will have an adverse effect on CBE program
administration, agency operations, and agency compliance and enforcement mechanisms.

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the
Certified Business Enterprise Program Compliance and Enforcement Support Emergency
Amendment Act of 2025 be adopted after a single reading.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.