Subchapter I. General Provisions.

§ 2–601. Definitions.

For the purpose of this subchapter:

(1) The term “act” shall have the same meaning as is ascribed to it in § 1-201.03(7).

(2) The term “agency” means any officer, employee, office, department, division, board, commission, or other agency of the government of the District of Columbia including both those which are independent of and those which are subordinate to the Mayor and Council but not including the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

(3) The term “Board of Commissioners” means the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia established by Act of June 11, 1878 (20 Stat. 102).

(4) The term “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the District of Columbia established by subsection (a) of § 301 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (81 Stat. 949).

(5) The term “Council” means the Council of the District of Columbia created by § 1-204.01(a) unless the phrase “District of Columbia Council” is used in which event the term shall mean the District of Columbia Council created by subsection (a) of § 201 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (81 Stat. 948).

(6) The term “Council year” means the legislative period of the Council beginning on January 2nd of each year and ending on January 1st of the following year.

(7) Repealed.

(8) The term “District of Columbia Register” means the District of Columbia Register mandated by § 2-504.

(9) The term “Mayor” means the Mayor of the District of Columbia created by § 1-204.21(a) or his or her designated agent.

(10) The term “rule” means the whole or any part of any Board of Commissioners’, Commissioner’s, District of Columbia Council’s, Mayor’s, or agency’s statement of general or particular applicability and future effect designed to implement, interpret, or prescribe law or policy or designed to describe organization, procedure, or practice requirements.

(11) The term “regulation” shall have the same meaning as the term “rule.”

(12) The term “resolution” means a resolution of the Council unless the term “Congressional resolution” is used in which case it shall mean a resolution of the Congress of the United States or either House thereof.

(Oct. 8, 1975, D.C. Law 1-19, title II, § 202, 22 DCR 2056; Apr. 7, 2006, D.C. Law 16-91, § 135, 52 DCR 10637.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 1-1601.

1973 Ed., § 1-1601.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 16-91 repealed par. (7) which had read as follows: “(7) The term ‘District of Columbia Code’ means the Code of the District of Columbia as provided for in the Act of July 30, 1947 (61 Stat. 638) and any continuations, supplements, or revisions thereof authorized by Act, Congressional resolution, or act.”

References in Text

“Act of June 11, 1878,” referred to in paragraph (3), is also known as the Organic Act of 1878, and is set forth in its entirety in Volume 1.

§ 2–602. Publication of Council acts and resolutions.

A resolution or act passed or adopted by the Council pursuant to § 1-204.12(a) shall be published in the District of Columbia Register as soon as practicable after it is passed or adopted.

(Oct. 8, 1975, D.C. Law 1-19, title II, § 204, 22 DCR 2058; Oct. 30, 1975, D.C. Law 1-27, § 4, 22 DCR 2472; Apr. 7, 1977, D.C. Law 1-115, § 2, 23 DCR 8744; Mar. 6, 1979, D.C. Law 2-153, § 6(c), 25 DCR 6960; Mar. 15, 1990, D.C. Law 8-89, § 2, 37 DCR 644; Feb. 5, 1994, D.C. Law 10-68, § 8, 40 DCR 6311; Oct. 19, 2002, D.C. Law 14-213, § 5, 49 DCR 8140; Mar. 13, 2004, D.C. Law 15-105, § 27, 51 DCR 881; Mar. 23, 2024, D.C. Law 25-143, § 3(a), 71 DCR 1438.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 1-1602.

1973 Ed., § 1-1602.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 50-2302.02.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 14-213 substituted “§§ 1-204.12(a)(2), and 1-204.90(a)(1)” for “§ 1-204.12(a)(2)”.

D.C. Law 15-105 validated a previously made technical correction.

Cross References

Motor vehicles and traffic, moving infractions, exceptions, criminal offenses, amendment of municipal code by publication, see § 50-2302.02.

Publication and codification of acts of D.C. Council, requirements, see § 1-204.04.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3(a) of Term Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 (D.C. Act 25-385, Feb. 1, 2024, 71 DCR 1457).

Editor's Notes

Publication requirement exemption: Section 5 of D.C. Law 16-300 provided: “Notwithstanding section 8 of this act and sections 204 and 308(b) of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, effective March 6, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-153; D.C. Official Code §§ 2-602 and 2-558(b)), the text, maps, and graphics of the District elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital, as amended by this act, need not be published in the District of Columbia Register to become effective.”

§ 2–603. Statutes-at-Large.

(a) Beginning in 2013, within 45 days of the end of each Council year, the Council shall compile and publish online the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large which shall include in separate chronological order:

(1) Council acts, including emergency acts adopted after December 31, 1986, which become law during that Council year; and

(2) Council resolutions adopted during that Council year, except ceremonial resolutions adopted after December 31, 1986.

(b) The 1st publication of the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large shall also contain in a separate part each regulation and resolution of the District of Columbia Council in chronological order.

(d) The District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large shall contain a certificate by the General Counsel to the Council of the District of Columbia stating that it contains all the documents required to be published pursuant to this section as of the date of the certificate.

(Oct. 8, 1975, D.C. Law 1-19, title II, § 205, 22 DCR 2062; Mar. 6, 1979, D.C. Law 2-153, § 6(c), 25 DCR 6960; Feb. 18, 1988, D.C. Law 7-78, § 2, 34 DCR 7956; Sept. 20, 2012, D.C. Law 19-168, § 1112, 59 DCR 8025.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 1-1603.

1973 Ed., § 1-1603.

Effect of Amendments

The 2012 amendment by D.C. Law 19-168, in the introductory language of (a), added “Beginning in 2013,” substituted “the Council” for “the Mayor,” and substituted “publish online” for “publish”; repealed (c), which read: “The Mayor shall make copies of the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large available to the public at a reasonable cost calculated to cover the costs of its compilation, publication, and distribution”; and added (d).

§ 2–604. Enrollment of Council acts and resolutions.

After passage by the Council, but before any presentation to the Mayor, each act and resolution of the Council shall be set forth on parchment or other such suitable paper.

§ 2–605. Judicial notice.

All courts within the District of Columbia shall take judicial notice of the acts and resolutions published in the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large.