Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act
This bill, titled the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act, creates a federal program to beautify the District of Columbia and establishes a new District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission in the executive branch. The Secretary of the Interior would develop the beautification program within 30 days of enactment, coordinating with multiple federal and local DC officials to maintain cleanliness and repurpose or restore federal and DC spaces, graffiti removal, and private sector involvement. The bill also sets a one-year reporting requirement and annual updates, with the program slated to sunset on January 2, 2029. In addition, the bill creates the DC Safe and Beautiful Commission, a federal body with representatives from several agencies and U.S. Attorney offices (DC, Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia). The President would designate a White House senior official to chair the Commission. Its duties include advising on immigration enforcement within DC, monitoring sanctuary city status, accelerating forensics lab accreditation, supporting DC police recruitment and resources, speeding processing of concealed carry licenses, reviewing pretrial detention policies, addressing fare evasion in the WMATA system, and coordinating increased federal/local law enforcement presence in key DC areas. The Commission’s work and charter would be reportable to Congress, and all provisions are set to expire in 2029.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a federal Program to beautify the District of Columbia, led by the Secretary of the Interior, with a 30-day implementation deadline and ongoing annual reporting requirements.
- 2Scope of the Program includes cleaning and maintaining federal and DC facilities and spaces, graffiti removal, restoring damaged monuments, and encouraging private sector participation.
- 3Creation of the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission in the executive branch, with representation from multiple federal agencies and U.S. Attorney offices for DC, Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia.
- 4The President must designate a White House senior official as Chair of the Commission, who will set meeting schedules, designate additional members, and draft a charter for Congress.
- 5Commission duties include promoting stricter immigration enforcement in DC, monitoring sanctuary city status, improving forensic lab accreditation, aiding DC police recruitment and resources, speeding concealed carry license processing, reviewing pretrial detention policies, addressing fare evasion in WMATA, and coordinating enhanced federal/local law enforcement presence in DC areas.
- 6The Commission may coordinate with federal and local agencies (e.g., MPD, WMATA, US Park Police, Amtrak Police) as allowed by law.
- 7Sunset provision: both the Program and the Commission terminate on January 2, 2029.
- 8Reporting requirement: the Secretary and the Commission must provide periodic reports to specific Congressional committees on progress and recommendations for legislation.