Bill Summary
The "Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act of 2025" is a legislative measure aimed at enhancing the aesthetics and safety of the District of Columbia. The Act establishes two main components:
1. **Beautification Program**: The Secretary of the Interior is tasked with creating a program to improve the cleanliness and visual appeal of federal and local facilities, public spaces, and monuments within Washington, D.C. This includes coordinating efforts to maintain public areas, restore damaged monuments, and engage private-sector participation. Progress reports on this initiative are required annually, with the program set to conclude on January 2, 2029.
2. **District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission**: This commission is formed to recommend and review actions related to public safety and immigration enforcement in the district. It includes representatives from various federal and local agencies and is responsible for addressing issues such as crime reduction, law enforcement collaboration, and the accreditation of forensic labs. Like the beautification program, the commission will also submit reports to Congress and is set to dissolve on January 2, 2029.
Overall, this Act seeks to improve both the physical condition and safety of the District of Columbia through coordinated efforts between federal and local authorities.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the "Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act of 2025" could affect people:
1. **Enhanced Public Spaces**: The establishment of a beautification program could lead to cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing public spaces in the District of Columbia. Residents and visitors may experience improved parks, sidewalks, and monuments, contributing to a more enjoyable environment for recreation, social gatherings, and tourism. This can enhance community pride and encourage more outdoor activities, positively impacting residents' quality of life.
2. **Increased Public Safety and Law Enforcement**: The creation of the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission, which includes collaboration with law enforcement agencies, may result in a more visible and coordinated law enforcement presence. This could lead to a reduction in crime rates, making residents feel safer in their neighborhoods and while visiting public landmarks. Additionally, initiatives to address issues like fare evasion on public transit could enhance overall security within the transportation system.
3. **Community Engagement and Private Sector Participation**: The Act encourages private-sector participation in beautification efforts, which may lead to increased community involvement in local initiatives. Residents and local businesses could collaborate on projects such as park clean-ups, mural installations, or community gardens. This engagement fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility toward maintaining the district's beauty and safety, empowering citizens to take an active role in their community's development.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5103 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5103
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish a program to Beautify the District of Columbia and
establish the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Make the District of Columbia Safe
and Beautiful Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO BEAUTIFY DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior
(hereinafter the ``Secretary'') shall develop a program to
beautify the District of Columbia (hereinafter the
``Program'').
(2) Consultation.--The Secretary, when establishing the
Program, shall consult with each of the following:
(A) The Attorney General.
(B) The Secretary of Transportation.
(C) The Mayor of the District of Columbia.
(D) The United States Attorney for the District of
Columbia.
(E) The Administrator of General Services.
(F) The heads of such other Federal departments and
agencies and District of Columbia officials as the
Secretary deems appropriate.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Program is to establish and
implement a plan for Federal and local officials to--
(1) coordinate, and maintain, the cleanliness, of Federal
and District of Columbia facilities, monuments, land, public
spaces, sidewalks, parks, highways, roads, transit systems, and
other commonly visited areas within the District of Columbia,
including through the removal of graffiti;
(2) restore, to the extent practicable, District of
Columbia and Federal public monuments, memorials, statues,
markers, and similar properties that have been damaged or
defaced or inappropriately removed or changed; and
(3) encourage private-sector participation in the efforts
of the Program.
(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a
report to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and on
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committees on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate that includes a summary of the progress of the
Program and the plan as described in subsection (b).
(d) Sunset.--This section, and the Program established by this
section, shall terminate on January 2, 2029.
SEC. 3. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the executive branch a
District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission (hereafter the
``Commission'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall be comprised of
representatives of each of the following entities:
(A) The Department of the Interior.
(B) The Department of Transportation.
(C) The Department of Homeland Security.
(D) The Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(E) The United States Marshals Service.
(F) The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives.
(G) The United States Attorney's Office for the
District of Columbia.
(H) The United States Attorney's Office for the
District of Maryland.
(I) The United States Attorney's Office for the
Eastern District of Virginia.
(J) The Executive Office of the Mayor of the
District of Columbia (as defined in section 3(3) of the
Governmental Reorganization Procedures Act of 1981;
sec. 1-315.02(3), D.C. Official Code).
(K) Such other entities of the Federal government
as may be determined by the Chair of the Commission.
(2) Designation of members.--Not later than 45 days after
the date of the enactment of this section (or, in the case of
an entity described in subsection (b)(1)(K), not later than 45
days after the Chair of the Commission designates the entity),
the head of each entity described in subsection (b)(1) shall
designate a representative of that entity to serve as the
representative of the entity on the Commission.
(c) Chair.--
(1) Designation.--Not later than 45 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, the President shall designate a
senior level official from the Executive Office of the
President to serve as the Chair of the Commission.
(2) Functions.--The Chair shall perform functions that
include the following:
(A) Developing a schedule of meetings for the
Commission.
(B) Designating entities who shall be represented
on the Commission under subsection (b)(1)(K).
(C) In consultation with the members of the
Commission, developing a charter for the Commission
and, not later than 7 days after the date on which the
charter is completed, submitting the charter to the
appropriate committees of Congress.
(d) Functions and Authorities.--
(1) Functions.--The functions of the Commission are to
recommend actions, and review the effectiveness of such
actions, with respect to, but not limited to, the following:
(A) Developing and encouraging the implementation
of polices which will direct the maximum enforcement of
Federal immigration law within the District of
Columbia, including policies to encourage the
redirection of available Federal, State, or local law
enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal
aliens.
(B) Monitoring the District of Columbia's
sanctuary-city status and compliance with the
enforcement of Federal immigration law.
(C) Facilitating the prompt and complete
accreditation of the District of Columbia's forensic
crime laboratory.
(D) In collaboration with its leadership and union,
ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Department of the
District of Columbia is provided with assistance to
facilitate the recruitment, retention, and capabilities
of its officers and facilitating the provision of
Federal personnel, resources, and expertise to reduce
crime.
(E) Collaborating with appropriate local government
entities to provide assistance to increase the speed
and lower the cost of processing concealed carry
license requests in the District of Columbia.
(F) Reviewing and, as appropriate, recommending
revisions to Federal prosecutorial policies on pretrial
detention of criminal defendants to ensure that
individuals who pose a genuine threat to public safety
are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law.
(G) Collaborating with appropriate local government
entities to provide assistance to end fare evasion and
other crime within the Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority system.
(H) Facilitating the deployment of a more robust
Federal law enforcement presence, and in coordination
with local law enforcement agencies, facilitating the
deployment of a more robust local law enforcement
presence (as appropriate) within the District of
Columbia, including the National Mall and Memorial
Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union
Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George
Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and
the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
(2) Coordination with other authorities.--The Commission
may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational
assistance from and coordinate with Federal and local officials
as appropriate, including the Metropolitan Police Department of
the District of Columbia, the Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority, and the Amtrak Police.
(e) Report.--The Commission shall submit a report to the
appropriate committees of Congress which includes a summary of the
functions and authorities carried out pursuant to subsection (d), and
shall include in the report such recommendations for legislation as the
Commission considers appropriate.
(f) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the
House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate.
(g) Sunset.--This section, and the Commission established by this
section, shall terminate on January 2, 2029.
Passed the House of Representatives March 25, 2026.
Attest:
Clerk.
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5103
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish a program to Beautify the District of Columbia and
establish the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission.