D.C. Law 24-285. Safe Streets for Students Amendment Act of 2022.

AN ACT

To amend the School Proximity Traffic Calming Act of 2000 to establish a Safe Passage Program within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, to establish a Safe Blocks Program within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, to authorize grants to be awarded to community-based organizations participating in the Safe Blocks Program, to detail the responsibilities of community-based organizations and their personnel participating in the program, to establish a School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group and prescribe the working group's membership, to establish a Safe Routes to School Program within the District Department of Transportation, to prescribe the timing, manner, and scope of Action Plans and spot safety assessments undertaken by the District Department of Transportation, to set the speed limit within school zones at 15 miles per hour, to provide that the District Department of Transportation may increase the speed limit within school zones to 25 miles per hour along arterials during hours school is not in session, to double the fine for certain moving violations occurring in a school zone, to require submission of monthly statistical reports from the District of Columbia Public Schools and Metropolitan Police Department on student traffic safety, to require that the District Department of Transportation implement a School Streets Pilot Program at least one public school per ward, to prescribe the placement, hours, and training received by school crossing guards, to permit schools to submit requests for crossing guards online, to require the District Department of Transportation to transmit a plan to the Mayor and Council identifying options to convert part-time crossing guard positions to full-time positions, to require the Mayor to submit to the Council, every 5 years, a Safe Streets for Students Master Plan and prescribe its contents, the agencies responsible for its development, and opportunities for the public to review and comment on the draft plan, and to require that, every 5 years, the District Department of Transportation transmit a rubric to the Council that produces scores to prioritize schools for Action Plans, to prescribe annual reporting for the Deputy Mayor for Education and the District Department of Transportation on safe passage and the Safe Routes to School Program, to clarify that traffic safety infrastructure installed throughout the District shall not be deemed obstructions of the roadway, nor shall damage by traffic safety infrastructure be the basis for a cause of action; and to make conforming amendments to the School Safety and Security Contracting Procedures Act of 2004.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Safe Streets for Students Amendment Act of 2022".

Sec. 2. The School Proximity Traffic Calming Act of 2000, effective May 23, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-111; D.C. Official Code § 38-3101), is amended as follows:

(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 38-3101) is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 2. Definitions.

" For the purposes of this act, the term:

"(1) "Action Plan" means a written assessment, posted on the DDOT website prior to implementation of the Action Plan, that:

"(A) Summarizes the actions taken by DDOT, including any data produced, to complete a comprehensive assessment of traffic safety needs for a school, including the school zone;

"(B) Details the types of traffic safety infrastructure and the location, scope, and timing of installation of traffic safety infrastructure, by infrastructure element, to be installed, pursuant to an assessment of traffic safety needs undertaken by DDOT; and

"(C) Describes the nature and timing of community engagement on implementation of the recommendations in the Action Plan.

"(2) "Community-based organization" and "CBO" mean an organization operated by a nonprofit entity or faith-based organization that provides services, including violence interruption and deterrence and youth development.

"(3) "DCPS" means the District of Columbia Public Schools.

"(4) "DDOT" means the District Department of Transportation.

"(5) "DME" means the Deputy Mayor for Education.

"(6) "Local education agency" and "LEA" mean DCPS or any individual public charter school or group of public charter schools operating under a single charter.

"(7) "New school" means:

"(A) A school located in a never-before-occupied structure, except for a structure erected in an existing school zone; or

"(B) A school located in a preexisting structure that has not been used as a DCPS school or public charter school within the last 5 years.

"(8) "Priority area" means an area of the District, designated by the School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group, for receipt of safe passage services and whose bounds include at least the full school zone for at least one public school.

"(9) "Safe passage" means programs and services administered or otherwise overseen by the DME, in collaboration with other relevant District and federal agencies, targeted at ensuring DCPS and public charter school students can travel to and from their schools safe from the threat of physical violence, intimidation, and other public safety concerns.

"(10) "School zone" includes any street, block, or intersection within 350 feet of a given school's building or school grounds and includes crossing points closest to that boundary; however, areas within school zones that are unused for crossings, such as along a highway without marked crossing points, may be excluded from the school zone.

"(11) "Shared fleet device" shall have the same meaning as provided in section 2(14D) of the District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925, approved March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 1119; D.C. Official Code § 50-2201.02(14D)).

"(12) "Spot safety assessment" means a determination of whether traffic safety infrastructure should be installed to increase traffic safety at a specific location.

"(13) "Traffic safety infrastructure" includes speed humps, bumps, cushions, tables, rumble strips, pavement markings, signs that warn of the presence of children, traffic signals and signage, raised crosswalks, raised intersections, continuous sidewalks, high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, pedestrian islands, bicycle lanes, bus islands and shelters, stop signs, including all way stops, automated traffic enforcement cameras and signage, and flashing signals and beacons.".

(b) New sections 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i, 2j, and 2k are added to read as follows:

"Sec. 2a. Safe Passage Program.

"(a)(1) The Mayor shall establish a Safe Passage Program within the Office of the DME, responsible for ensuring the safe passage of students traveling to and from local education agencies on days in which school is in session or other days, as determined by the DME.

"(2) The Safe Passage Program shall be responsible for:

"(A) Supporting development of the Safe Streets for Students Master Plan required by section 2j;

"(B) Administering safe passage programming under this act;

"(C) Administering the School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group established pursuant to section 2c;

"(D) Gathering and analyzing data on student transportation, student safety, and other data related to safe passage, as available;

"(E) Producing an interactive map or similar digital tool pursuant to section 2b(f); and

"(F) Planning and implementing policies, programs, and services to support safe passage, in consultation with the DDOT, Department of Public Works, Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, Office of Planning, and other relevant agencies.

"Sec. 2b. Safe Blocks Program.

"(a) The DME or the DME's designee shall establish a Safe Blocks Program ("program"). Under the program, by June 1 of each year, DME shall, for the upcoming school year:

"(1) In consultation with the School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group, designate priority areas for the upcoming school year;

"(2) In consultation with DDOT, produce on the program website an interactive map or similar digital tool as required by subsection (f) of this section; and

"(3) Award grants to CBOs in accordance with subsection (b) of this section;

"(b)(1) The DME shall award annual and multi-year grants on a competitive basis to CBOs for the purposes of providing safe passage services on behalf of the District.

"(2) The Mayor shall issue rules to govern award of grants under this subsection consistent with this section and the Grant Administration Act of 2013, effective December 24, 2013 (D.C. Law 20-61; D.C. Official Code § 1-328.11 et seq.).

"(c) Each CBO that is a recipient of a grant under this section shall be responsible for:

"(1) The recruitment, hiring, training, and management of personnel to provide safe passage services in priority areas; and

"(2) Collecting, tracking, and reporting data, including incident reports, as required by the DME.

"(d) Personnel hired by a CBO under this section shall:

"(1) Be responsible for providing safe passage services for students traveling to and from school during designated hours, such as:

"(A) The daily monitoring of an assigned Safe Blocks priority area, including developing relationships with students, families, businesses, civic associations, institutional facilities, and community members within the priority area;

"(B) Working collaboratively with schools, relevant District agency staff, and the surrounding community to identify and intervene to diffuse

"(C) Supporting attendance by encouraging students to attend class daily and on time; and

"(D) Building relationships with school administrators, police personnel, parents, and community residents by increasing their awareness of the Safe Blocks Program whenever possible; and

"(2) Receive at least the following trainings:

"(A) Bystander intervention training;

"(B) Training on racial and implicit bias; and

"(C) Any other trainings required by the DME.

"(e) In addition to the reporting requirements in section 1097 of the Grant Administration Act of 2013, effective December 24, 2013 (D.C. Law 20-61; D.C. Official Code § 1-328.16), on or before November 1 of each year, DME shall submit to the Council and make publicly available an annual status report for grants issued by or on behalf of DME under this act in the previous fiscal year, which shall include, for each grant:

"(1) The name, business address, and primary point of contact for the CBO;

"(2) A description of the specific services provided by the CBO;

"(3) The priority areas served by the CBO; and

"(4) The amount of grant funds dedicated to program costs and the amount dedicated to other expenditures.

"(f) The DME, in consultation with DDOT, shall make available an interactive map or similar digital tool as part of the Safe Blocks Program. The DME shall coordinate with DDOT to populate the map with:

"(1) The bounds of priority areas;

"(2) Within priority areas, the location of sidewalks, marked crosswalks, and stops signs and signals; and

"(3) All locations at which a crossing guard has been assigned.

"(g) The DME shall have grant-making authority for the purpose of the implementation of safe passage programming.

"Sec. 2c. School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group.

"(a) The DME shall convene a School Safety and Safe Passage Working Group ("Working Group") to facilitate interagency planning, coordination, and implementation of safe passage programming.

"(b) The Working Group shall consist of at least the following members, or their designee:

"(1) The DME;

"(2) The Chancellor of DCPS;

"(3) The Chair of the Public Charter School Board;

"(4) The Director of the DDOT;

"(5) The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice;

"(6) The Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department ("MPD");

"(7) The General Manager of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ("WMATA");

"(8) The Chief of the WMATA Metro Transit Police Department ("MTPD");

"(9) The Attorney General;

"(10) At least one individual who is the parent or guardian of a DCPS or public charter school student; and

"(11) At least one teacher or administrator at a DCPS or public charter school.

"(c) Within 14 days after a meeting of the Working Group, the Deputy Mayor shall post on DME's website meeting minutes and copies of materials considered by the Working Group at the meeting.

"Sec. 2d. Safe Routes to School Program.

" DDOT shall establish a Safe Routes to School Program, which shall be responsible for:

"(1) Developing the Safe Streets for Students Master Plan required under section 2j;

"(2) Conducting spot safety assessments and other assessments or investigations that are focused on improving traffic safety;

"(3) Producing Action Plans;

"(4) Installing traffic safety infrastructure to enhance the safety and improve the experience of pedestrians, bicyclists, users of shared fleet devices, and others pursuant to an Action Plan, assessment, investigation, or as otherwise considered necessary by DDOT to improve traffic safety;

"(5) Implementation of the School Streets Pilot Program;

"(6) Gathering and analyzing data to improve the safety of public school students, staff, and families from traffic violence as they travel to and from school;

"(7) Coordinating with DME, Department of Public Works, Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, Office of Planning, MPD, WMATA, WMATA MTPD, and other relevant agencies to plan for and implement policies, programs, and services to support the Safe Routes to School Program and measures intended to ensure the safety of public school students, staff, and families from traffic violence as they travel to and from school; and

"(8) Community engagement on the Safe Routes to School Program.

"Sec. 2e. Action Plans and spot safety assessments.

"(a) Beginning June 1, 2024, DDOT shall produce an Action Plan for at least 25 schools per school year, with schools prioritized in the order listed in the version of the Safe Streets for Students Master Plan or Master Plan modification most recently approved by the Council.

"(b)(1) DDOT shall undertake spot safety assessments upon request.

"(2)(A) DDOT may stipulate the manner in which requests for spot safety assessments ("requests") are to be submitted to the agency but shall provide a method to submit requests to the Safe Routes to School Program.

"(B) Requests received by the Safe Routes to School Program shall be posted to DDOT's Traffic Safety Investigation Dashboard ("dashboard").

"(C)(i) For requests submitted to the Safe Routes to School Program after October 1, 2023, the dashboard shall denote that the request was submitted to the Safe Routes to School Program.

"(ii) As of October 1, 2023, DDOT shall permit residents to sort requests by those submitted to the Safe Routes to School Program.

"(c)(1) DDOT shall install traffic safety infrastructure where called for under an Action Plan, spot safety assessment, or any other assessment or investigation focused on improving traffic safety for a school.

"(2) Where a traffic safety installation called for under an Action Plan or spot safety assessment is not completed within one year after the conclusion of the Action Plan or spot safety assessment, DDOT shall provide written notice of the basis for the delay to the principals of schools within 1/10th of a mile of the location of the traffic safety installation, the Ward Councilmember whose ward includes the location of the traffic safety installation, and the Chairs of the Council Committees with oversight of DCPS and the Public Charter School Board.

"Sec. 2f. School zones.

"(a)(1) School zones shall have a speed limit of 15 miles per hour between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; except, that on arterials, DDOT may increase the speed limit in school zones to 25 miles per hour at all times except the hours designated for student drop-off and pick-up for the school day and regular afterschool programming.

"(2) DDOT shall post signage on all roadways within a school zone that states the speed limit and warns that the area is a school zone.

"(b) The fine for speeding pursuant to 18 DCMR § 2600.1 shall be doubled when the infraction occurs in a school zone.

"Sec. 2g. School Streets Pilot Program.

"(a)(1) No later than 18 months after the applicability date of the Safe Streets For Students Amendment Act of 2022, passed on 2nd reading on December 20, 2022 (enrolled version of Bill 24-66), the DDOT shall implement a 2-school-year School Streets Pilot Program ("pilot program") at at least one public school per Ward.

"(2) DDOT, in consultation with DCPS, the Public Charter School Board, and school principals, shall identify public schools interested in participating in the pilot program, and notify schools of their selection for the pilot program at least 3 months prior to the implementation date specified in this subsection.

"(b) Under the pilot program, at each participating school, DDOT shall:

"(1) Designate, in consultation with the school:

"(A) At least one roadway adjacent to the school closed to unauthorized motor vehicles during designated hours;

"(B) The hours that the roadway is to be closed to unauthorized motor vehicles; except, that the designated roadway shall be closed to unauthorized motor vehicles for at least one hour before and one hour after both the start and end of the school day for all days that school is in session; and

"(C) Which vehicles are authorized to access the roadways closed during designated hours pursuant to the pilot program; except, that DDOT may only authorize access for motor vehicles that are vital to school functions or to public safety and shall endeavor to minimize, if not eliminate, all motor vehicle access on the designated roadways during designated hours;

"(2) Assign at least one traffic control officer or crossing guard to the roadways closed to unauthorized motor vehicles during the designated hours at each school; provided, that sufficient staff is available;

"(3) Install signage designating the roadway as participating in the pilot program and stating the hours during which the roadway is closed to unauthorized motor vehicle traffic; and

"(4) Provide each school with the equipment DDOT considers necessary to prevent motor vehicle through-traffic during the designated hours, including temporary bollards or other roadway obstructions.

"(c) DDOT may temporarily suspend closure of a roadway closed pursuant to the pilot program where doing so is necessary to preserve public safety, and shall provide notice to the school and the LEA of any such temporary suspension.

"(d) No later than 18 months after conclusion of the pilot program, DDOT shall provide a report to the Mayor, Council, Chancellor of DCPS, and the Public Charter School Board. The report shall include:

"(1) A summary of how the pilot program was implemented at each school participating in the pilot program, including a breakdown of any differences in design, scope, community engagement, cross-agency engagement, or other factors;

"(2) An assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot program at each participating school on actual and perceived student, school, and community safety, including, where implementation of the pilot program meaningfully differed between the schools, an analysis of how those differences affected the pilot program's effectiveness; and

"(3) Recommendations on how the pilot program could better enhance student safety, how inefficiencies or redundancies in the pilot program could be reduced, and on how the pilot program could best be expanded to other schools.

"Sec. 2h. School crossing guards.

"(a) Crossing guards shall be placed at elementary schools and middle or junior high schools where considered necessary by DDOT, working collaboratively with the DCPS and the affected local public school or public charter school.

"(b)(1) By January 1, 2024, DDOT shall make available an online system that public schools may use to submit requests for crossing guards. The online system shall allow for the submission of all information and materials required by DDOT to support a request for a crossing guard.

"(2) A public school may request a crossing guard at any location within the further of the school's zone or 1/10th of a mile of the school.

"(3) A request for a crossing guard submitted pursuant to this subsection must include the time periods in a given day for which the school seeks a crossing guard. A school may request the crossing guard's hours to extend earlier and later than a typical school day.

"(c)(1) Crossing guards shall receive:

"(A) Relevant training provided or prescribed by the DME for CBOs participating in the Safe Blocks Program;

"(B) Bystander intervention training;

"(C) Training on racial and implicit bias; and

"(D) Any other training required by DDOT.

"(2) DDOT, in consultation with DCPS and public charter local education agencies, shall prescribe the frequency at which crossing guards must receive trainings following their initial placements; provided, that crossing guards shall receive the trainings required under paragraph (1) of this subsection at least once every 2 years.

"(e) By June 1, 2024, DDOT, in consultation with the City Administrator, DME, and the Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure, shall transmit a plan to the Mayor and Council identifying options for converting existing part-time crossing guard positions to full-time positions. The plan shall include:

"(1) An estimate of the total number of crossing guards needed to serve District schools, where funding and staff availability are not an issue;

"(2) An analysis of how many crossing guard positions should be retained as part-time, where funding and staff availability are not an issue; and

"(3)(A) A list of positions, roles, or services within DDOT and other District agencies to which crossing guards could be assigned and reasonably take on during hours that they are not providing crossing guard services to allow these part-time positions to be converted to full-time positions; and

"(B) An analysis of what would be necessary for DDOT to coordinate with other agencies to allow crossing guards to take on these other positions, roles, or services in off-hours, including any barriers, agency concerns, or recommendations to establishing interagency positions.

"Sec. 2i. Safe Streets for Students Master Plan.

"(a)(1) No later than 12 months after the applicability date of the Safe Streets for Students Amendment Act of 2022, passed on 2nd reading on December 20, 2022 (enrolled version of Bill 24-66), and every 5 years thereafter, the Mayor shall prepare and submit to the Council for its review and approval a comprehensive 5-year Safe Streets for Students Master Plan ("Master Plan"). If approved by the Council, the Master Plan shall take effect on the first day of the succeeding fiscal year.

"(2) The Council committee with jurisdiction shall conduct at least one public hearing on the proposed Master Plan before approval.

"(3) If, subsequent to Council's approval of the 5-year Master Plan, material changes to the Master Plan become necessary, the Mayor may modify the Master Plan; provided, that any modification shall be submitted promptly to the Council for review and approval.

"(4) Where the Council disapproves of the proposed Master Plan, the Mayor shall revise the Master Plan based on any comments adopted by the Council and resubmit it to the Council for its review and approval within 180 days after the effective date of the disapproval resolution.

"(b) The Master Plan shall include:

"(1) To be produced by DDOT:

"(A) An ordered list of all public schools for which DDOT plans to produce and implement an Action Plan during the 5-year period covered by the Master Plan, ordered in accordance with the rubric described in subsection (c) of this section.

"(B) A listing of all schools, ordered by the date that DDOT last produced and implemented an Action Plan for the school, and including the date of the Action Plan; and

"(C) A list of the types of traffic safety infrastructure DDOT will consider for implementation at a school facility as part of Action Plan and the thresholds or standards that DDOT will utilize to determine whether implementation of that infrastructure is appropriate; except, that DDOT shall adopt standards in the Master Plan to require the installation of the following traffic safety infrastructure for a school as part of an Action Plan unless the agency determines and explains in writing how such installation would not, based on data collected by DDOT, materially increase safety or would be in conflict with other enumerated engineering requirements:

"(i) High-visibility crosswalks at all intersections and crossings;

"(ii) Speed bumps, speed humps, speed tables, or speed cushions on roadways adjacent to any public school entrances;

"(iii) All-way stops or, where considered appropriate by DDOT, traffic signals at all intersections;

"(iv) Raised crosswalks and curb extensions at intersections adjacent to public school campuses;

"(v) Flashing school zone beacons on approaches within a school zone; and

"(vi) Mid-block crossing protections such as pylons or flashing pedestrian signs.

"(2) To be produced by DME, a list of priority areas designated under the Safe Blocks Program for the upcoming school year, and the DME's process, including any metrics, standards, or specific data used, to select priority areas; and

"(3) To be produced by DME and DDOT, in consultation with other District agencies involved in the development, design, or implementation of safe passage programming, the Safe Routes to School Program, or student transportation safety:

"(A) A description of all services and programs, including pilot programs, executed as part of the Safe Routes to School Program by DME or that otherwise have a focus on students' safe passage or student transportation safety:

"(i) That were implemented during the preceding 5-year period; and

"(ii) That are to be offered during the 5-year period covered by the Master Plan; and

"(B) Where a service or program offered during the preceding 5-year period will be discontinued, the rationale for discontinuing that service or program.

"(c)(1)(A) No later than 12 months after the applicability date of the Safe Streets for Students Amendment Act of 2022, passed on 2nd reading on December 20, 2022 (enrolled version of Bill 24-66), and every 5 years thereafter, DDOT shall submit to the Council for its review and approval the rubric that DDOT shall use in the upcoming Master Plan to determine the order that school facilities will receive an Action Plan pursuant to this act.

"(B) The proposed rubric shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, and days of Council recess. If the Council does not approve or disapprove the proposed rubric, in whole or in part, by resolution within this 45-day review period, the proposed rubric shall be deemed approved.

"(C) Prior to the submission of the rubric to the Council, DDOT shall post the rubric online in a location accessible to the public.

"(2)(A) The rubric required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall, for each public school facility in the District, assign the facility a prioritization score from one to 10 based on data obtained by DDOT for the school facility.

"(B) In developing the rubric required under paragraph (1) of this subsection, DDOT shall consider inclusion of:

"(i) The number of reported traffic injury crashes that occurred within 1/4 of a mile of the school in the preceding 5 years;

"(ii) Whether the school is within 1/4 of a mile of one of the District's top 15 crash intersections;

"(iii) Whether the school zone includes a principal arterial, interstate, freeway, or expressway;

"(iv) The date of implementation of the last Safe Routes to School Action Plan for the school;

"(v) The number of schools within 1/2 of mile of the school facility; and

"(vi) The number of at-risk students enrolled in the school based on the current school year enrollment projection.

"(d) In addition to a facility's prioritization score required by subsection (c)(2), when determining the prioritization and inclusion of school traffic safety projects in the annual budget and Capital Improvements Plan, DDOT may consider:

"(1) The scope and sequence of projects due to other projects focused on traffic safety within the walk and bike shed of the school undertaken in the preceding 5 years or planned in the most recent enacted Capital Improvements Plan; and

"(2) Immediate life and safety concerns.

"(e)(1) DME and DDOT shall be the agencies responsible for development of the Master Plan:.

"(2) The following agencies shall provide support, as requested by the Mayor, for the development of the Master Plan:

"(A) DCPS;

"(B) The Public Charter School Board;

"(C) Public charter local education agencies;

"(D) The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ("WMATA") and WMATA Metro Transit Police;

"(E) The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice;

"(F) The Department of Public Works;

"(G) The Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement; and

"(H) The Office of Planning.

"(f)(1) At least 90 days before the submission of the Master Plan to the Council, DDOT shall post the draft Master Plan online and conduct at least 3 public meetings on the draft Master Plan.

"(2) Within 7 days after the submission of a Master Plan to Council, DDOT shall transmit to the Council and make the data available on the agency website in a location accessible to the public the raw data used to produce the prioritization scores for each school facility in the Master Plan.

"(g) DCPS, PCSB, and individual private schools shall notify DDOT of a new school no later than 90 days before the first day on which students will begin classes at the school.

"Sec. 2j. Data collection and reporting.

"(a) By July 1 of each year, DME shall publicly post on the DME's website:

"(1) The number and name of CBOs participating in safe passage programs;

"(2) A list of private businesses and other entities participating in safe passage programs, by priority area;

"(3) A summary of any student surveys administered by DME or local education agencies on safe passage, and submitted to DME; and

"(4) The average distance traveled by students from home to school.

"(b) By July 1 of each year, DDOT shall publicly post on the DDOT website:

"(1) The number of driver-involved crashes, fatalities, or major injuries that occurred within 1/4 of a mile of a public school in the preceding year, by school;

"(2) A list of fulfilled and outstanding spot safety assessments in each school zone and 1/4 of a mile walk shed;

"(3) The deployment plan for traffic control officers for the upcoming year; and

"(4) The number of bike racks within the school zone.

"Sec. 2k. Liability.

"Traffic safety infrastructure, where installed and posted throughout the District and made available as the budget allows, pursuant to this act, shall not be deemed obstructions of the road or street. No cause of action at law or in equity, nor any administrative action shall be maintained against the District government for damages by traffic safety infrastructure.".

Sec. 3. Section 102(d)(3) of the School Safety and Security Contracting Procedures Act of 2004, effective April 13, 2005 (D.C. Law 15-350; D.C. Official Code § 5-132.02(d)(3)), is amended by striking the phrase "under section 2(f-1) of the School Proximity Traffic Calming Act of 2000, effective May 23, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-111; D.C. Official Code § 38-3101(f-1))" and inserting the phrase "under section 2i(d)(1) of the School Proximity Traffic Calming Act of 2000, passed on 2nd reading on December 20, 2022 (enrolled version of Bill 24-66)" in its place.

Sec. 4. Applicability.

(a) This act shall apply upon the date of inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan.

(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council of the certification.

(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in the District of Columbia Register.

(2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the applicability of the provisions identified in subsection (a) of this section.

Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 6. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.

Law Information

Cites

  • D.C. Law 24-285 (PDF)
  • D.C. Act 24-782 (PDF)
  • 70 DCR 998

Effective

Mar. 10, 2023

Legislative History (LIMS)

Law 24-285, the “Safe Streets for Students Amendment Act of 2022,” was introduced in the Council and assigned Bill No. 24-66 which was referred to the Transportation and the Environment, Committee of the Whole. The bill was adopted on first and second readings on Dec. 6, 2022, and Dec. 20, 2022, respectively. After mayoral review, it was assigned Act No. 24-782 on Jan. 19, 2023, and transmitted to Congress for its review. D.C. Law 24-285 became effective Mar. 10, 2023.