Title 2 — Government Administration.

(a) For the purposes of this subchapter, the following terms shall have the same meanings as provided in § 2-502: (1) “Adjudication”; (2) “Agency”; (3) “Council”; (4) “District”; (5) ”Mayor”; (6) “Order”; (7) “Party”; (8) “Person”; (9) “Proceedings”; (10) “Public record”; (11) “R…

This subchapter may be cited as the “Freedom of Information Act of 1976”.

For purposes of this subchapter: (1) The terms “Mayor,” “Council,” “District,” “agency,” “rule,” “rulemaking,” “person,” “licensing”, “publish,” and “regulation” (except when used in the term “District of Columbia Municipal Regulation”) shall have the meaning provided in § 2-502.…

(a) The District of Columbia Office of Documents, established pursuant to § 2-611, shall supervise, manage, and direct the preparation, editing, publishing, and supplementation of an official legal compilation entitled the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR). The Di…

(a) The District of Columbia Office of Documents shall also supervise, manage, and direct the preparation, editing, and publishing of the District of Columbia Register which shall serve as the only official legal bulletin in the District of Columbia government and the temporary s…

Any document required or authorized to be published in the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations or the District of Columbia Register shall be filed with the District of Columbia Office of Documents. If a document has been published pursuant to subchapter I of this chapter a…

(a) The Mayor shall: (1) Make available, by May 1, 2001, a complete and current version of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (“DCMR”), with all sections compiled by subject matter, and an index to the sections; (2) Publish, no later than 60 days after the beginning o…

Except as provided in § 2-554, 2 copies of any document to be published pursuant to this subchapter shall be filed with the Administrator. The Administrator shall immediately review filed documents to determine their conformity to the provisions of this subchapter and to editoria…

(a) The District of Columbia Municipal Regulations and its permanent supplements shall be published pursuant to typographical and contractual arrangements which ensure that the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations can be purchased at a reasonable cost in its entirety or in …

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, any rule, regulation, or document having general applicability and legal effect which has been adopted or enacted by the Commissioner, the Mayor, the District of Columbia Council, an agency, or other instrumentality of t…

The Administrator of the District of Columbia Office of Documents shall correct grammatical or typographical errors in the publication of the text of a document in the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large, the District of Columbia Register or the District of Columbia Municipal …

Each part of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, each permanent supplement of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, and the District of Columbia Register shall contain a certificate by the Administrator stating that such part contains all documents required …

The publication of any document in the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large, the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, or the District of Columbia Register creates a rebuttable presumption: (1) That it was duly issued, prescribed, adopted, or enacted; and (2) That all req…

Any person who knowingly and willfully causes any document not to be published in the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large, the District of Columbia Register, or the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations which is required to be so published pursuant to this subchapter shal…

This subchapter may be cited as the “Open Meetings Act”.

The public policy of the District is that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the actions of those who represent them.

This subchapter shall be construed broadly to maximize public access to meetings. Exceptions shall be construed narrowly and shall permit closure of meetings only as authorized by this chapter.

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Meeting” means any gathering of a quorum of the members of a public body, including hearings and roundtables, whether formal or informal, regular, special, or emergency, at which the members consider, conduct, or advise on publi…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a meeting shall be open to the public. A meeting shall be deemed open to the public if: (1) The public is permitted to be physically present; (2) The news media, as defined by § 16-4701, is permitted to be physically prese…

Before meeting in open or closed session, a public body shall provide advance public notice as follows: (1) Notice shall be provided when meetings are scheduled and when the schedule is changed. A public body shall establish an annual schedule of its meetings, if feasible, and sh…

(a) A meeting may be held by video conference, telephone conference, or other electronic means; provided, that: (1) Reasonable arrangements are made to accommodate the public’s right to attend the meeting; (2) The meeting is recorded; and (3) All votes are taken by roll call. (b)…

(a) All meetings of public bodies, whether open or closed, shall be recorded by electronic means; provided, that if a recording is not feasible, detailed minutes of the meeting shall be kept. (b) Copies of records shall be made available for public inspection according to the fol…

(a) The Open Government Office may bring a lawsuit in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for injunctive or declaratory relief for any violation of this subchapter before or after the meeting in question takes place; provided, that the Council shall adopt its own rules…

The Office of Boards and Commissions, established December 19, 2001 (Mayor’s Order 2001-189), in coordination with the Open Government Office, shall: (1) Develop a training manual for members of public bodies; and (2) Annually advise all members of public bodies of their responsi…

This subchapter may be cited as the “Open Government Office Act”.

The District of Columbia Open Government Office (“Open Government Office”) is established as an independent office within the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability to promote open governance in the District of Columbia. All assets, staff, and unexpended appropriations of …

(a) The Open Government Office shall: (1) Report annually, on or before February 1, on its activities, including recommendations for changes in the law; (2) Issue advisory opinions to public bodies on compliance with subchapter IV of this chapter; (3) Provide training to public b…

(a) The Open Government Office shall be headed by a Director appointed by the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability to serve a 5-year term. (b) The Director may be reappointed and, if not reappointed, the Director shall serve until his successor has been confirmed. (c) Th…

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 Colum…

No act or resolution shall be effective until the act or resolution has been published in the District of Columbia Register, the District of Columbia Statutes-at-Large, or the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, except that any emergency act or resolution approved pursuan…

(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…

After enactment 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.

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.

(a) Part IV D of Organization Order No. 2, Commissioner’s Order No. 67-23, December 13, 1967, creating the Secretariat within the executive office of the Mayor, is amended: (1) By striking subsection 1. k.; and (2) By transferring, as provided in this subchapter, to the District …

The Administrator of the District of Columbia Office of Documents shall: (1) Supervise, manage, and direct the preparation, editing, printing and public distribution of all legal publications of the District of Columbia government including the District of Columbia Register and t…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, any other requirement that the District of Columbia publish notices in 2 daily newspapers shall be satisfied by publication in at least 2 general circulation newspapers, published in the District of Columbia, once every 2 weeks or more…

For purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Disability” means, with respect to an individual: (A) A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of that individual; (B) A record of such an impairment; or (C) Being regarded a…

(a) On or after September 29, 2006, all new and revised sections of the District of Columbia Official Code, all new, revised, or republished District regulations, rules, policies, or publications and all internet publications shall, when referring to persons with disabilities: (1…

Repealed Repealed.

For the purpose of this chapter, the term: (1) “Agency” includes all departments, entities, agencies, offices, or other subdivisions of the executive and legislative branches of the government of the District of Columbia as well as all independent boards, commissions, agencies, o…

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a government employee may not mail, as official mail, any matter, article, material, or document for any reasons other than the following: (1) A request for the matter, article, material, or document has been previously received by th…

Envelopes or other materials which are used to enclose official mail shall bear upon its facing, in addition to the name and address of the agency mailing the official mail, the words “official business.”

(a) Funds administered by District agencies, whether appropriated funds, or grant funds, may not be used to pay for the use of telegrams, night letters, mailgrams, or similar types of mail, except in emergency circumstances and as provided by regulations promulgated pursuant to s…

In addition to government employees and elected officials as defined in § 2-701, the following officials may mail materials as official mail: (1) The Mayor-elect; (2) The Chairman-elect and members-elect of the Council.

(a) An elected official may not mail, as official mail, any mass mailing within the 90-day period that immediately precedes a primary, special, or general election in which such official is a candidate for office. (b) An elected official may mail, as official mail, news releases …

The provisions of § 2-706 do not prohibit an elected official or his or her staff from mailing, as official mail, any of the following: (1) The whole or part of any record, speech, debate, or report of the Council or any committee thereof; (2) The tabulation of an official’s vote…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person who, at the time of the mailing, is not a government employee and who mails or attempts to mail materials, documents, or other items as official mail shall be fined an amount not exceeding $100 or confined for a term not …

(a) Any person who by reason of ignorance, forgetfulness, or misunderstanding improperly or unlawfully uses official mail shall be liable to the District for double the cost of the postage. (b) Any person who willfully violates provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fin…

Money inuring to the District as a result of the fines imposed under § 2-708 shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the District of Columbia or in any other depository designated by the Council.

For purposes of this chapter: (1) “Inaugural Committee” means the committee appointed by the President-elect to be in charge of the Presidential inaugural ceremony and functions and activities connected with the ceremony; and (2) “inaugural period” means the period that includes …