For the purposes of any act or resolution of the Council of the District of Columbia, unless specifically provided otherwise:
(1) Words importing the singular include and apply to several persons, parties, or things.
(2) Words importing the plural include the singular.
(3) With regard to resolutions, words importing 1 gender include and apply to the other gender as well.
(4) Words used in the present tense include the future as well as the present.
(5) The words "person" and "whoever" include corporations, companies, associations, firms, partnerships, societies, and joint stock companies, as well as individuals.
(6) "Officer" includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office.
(7) "Signature" or "subscription" includes a mark when the person making it intended that mark as such.
(8) "Oath" includes affirmation, and "sworn" includes affirmed.
(9) "Writing" includes printing and typewriting and reproductions of visual symbols by photographing, multigraphing, mimeographing, manifolding, or otherwise.
(10) The words "include" and "including" mean " includes, but not limited to" and "including, but not limited to".
(11) Words such as "stepparent," "stepmother," "stepfather," " stepchild," "stepsister," and "stepbrother" are used to indicate a category of a family step-relationship created when an individual who is a parent of a child:
(A) Marries an individual who is not a parent of that child; or
(B) Becomes a domestic partner of an individual who is not a parent of that child by registering the domestic partnership pursuant to § 32-702.
(Sept. 23, 1975, D.C. Law 1-17, § 2, 22 DCR 1990; June 4, 1982, D.C. Law 4-111, § 2(b), 29 DCR 1684; Apr. 7, 2006, D.C. Law 16-91, § 105, 52 DCR 10637; Sept. 12, 2008, D.C. Law 17-231, § 2, 55 DCR 6758.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 1-230.
1973 Ed., § 1-146a.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 16-91 added par. (10).
D.C. Law 17-231 added par. (11).
Legislative History of Laws
Law 1-17 was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 1-58, which was referred to the Committee of the Whole. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on April 29, 1975 and May 13, 1975, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on June 19, 1975, it was assigned Act No. 1-23 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review.
Law 4-111 was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 4-374, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on March 9, 1982 and March 23, 1982, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on April 12, 1982, it was assigned Act No. 4-174 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review.
Law 16-91, the "Technical Amendments Act of 2005", was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 16-477 which was referred to the Committee on the Whole. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on November 1, 2005, and November 15, 2005, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on November 30, 2005, it was assigned Act No. 16-212 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 16-91 became effective on April 7, 2006.
Law 17-231, the "Omnibus Domestic Partnership Equality Amendment Act of 2008", was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 17-135, which was referred to the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on April 1, 2008, and May 6, 2008, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on June 6, 2008, it was assigned Act No. 17-403 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 17-231 became effective on September 12, 2008.
(a) Each act of the Council of the District of Columbia shall have an enacting clause only in the 1st section of each act and such enacting clause shall be in the following form: "Be it enacted by the Council of the District of Columbia,".
(b) Each resolution of the Council of the District of Columbia shall have a resolving clause in the following form: "Resolved, by the Council of the District of Columbia,".
(c) Each section of each act or resolution shall be numbered consecutively.
(Sept. 23, 1975, D.C. Law 1-17, § 3, 22 DCR 1991.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 1-231.
1973 Ed., § 1-146b.
Legislative History of Laws
For legislative history of D.C. Law 1-17, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 1-301.45.
For the purposes of any act or resolution of the Council of the District of Columbia, unless specifically provided otherwise:
(1) The term "Council" means the Council of the District of Columbia established under § 1-204.01.
(2) The term "Mayor" means the Mayor of the District of Columbia established under § 1-204.21.
(3) The term "Act" means an Act of the Congress.
(4) The term "act" means an act of the Council.
(5) The term "District" means the District of Columbia.
(Sept. 23, 1975, D.C. Law 1-17, § 4, 22 DCR 1992; Mar. 13, 2004, D.C. Law 15-105, § 105, 51 DCR 881.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 1-232.
1973 Ed., § 1-146c.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 15-105 added par. (5).
Legislative History of Laws
For legislative history of D.C. Law 1-17, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 1-301.45.
Law 15-105, the "Technical Amendments Act of 2003", was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 15-437, which was referred to the Committee of the Whole. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on November 4, 2003, and December 2, 2003, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on January 6, 2004, it was assigned Act No. 15-291 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 15-105 became effective on March 13, 2004.
(a) Bills and resolutions. --
(1) In general. -- Notwithstanding any other law, except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, all permanent bills and resolutions shall be accompanied by a fiscal impact statement before final adoption by the Council.
(2) Contents. -- The fiscal impact statement shall include the estimate of the costs which will be incurred by the District as a result of the enactment of the measure in the current and each of the first four fiscal years for which the act or resolution is in effect, together with a statement of the basis for such estimate.
(b) Appropriations. -- Permanent and emergency acts which are accompanied by fiscal impact statements which reflect unbudgeted costs, shall be subject to appropriations prior to becoming effective.
(c) Applicability. -- Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to emergency declaration, ceremonial, confirmation, and sense of the Council resolutions.
(Sept. 23, 1975, D.C. Law 1-17, § 4a, as added Oct. 16, 2006, 120 Stat. 2038, Pub. L. 109-356, § 204; Mar. 25, 2009, D.C. Law 17-353, § 207, 56 DCR 1117.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 17-353, in the section credit, validated a previously made technical correction.
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 17-353, see notes following § 1-129.05.
