(a) There is established the Office on Returning Citizen Affairs. The Office shall coordinate and monitor service delivery to returning citizens. The Office shall make recommendations to the Mayor to promote the general welfare, empowerment, and reintegration of returning citizens in the areas of employment and workforce development, health care, education, housing, and social services.

(b)(1) The Office shall be headed by an Executive Director, who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council pursuant to § 1-523.01(a). The Director shall be a full-time employee, for whom annual compensation shall be fixed in accordance with subchapter X-A of Chapter 6 of Title 1.

(2) The Director shall:

(A) Serve as principal advisor to the Mayor on matters related to the reintegration of returning citizens into the general population;

(B) Serve as an advocate for returning citizens;

(C) Respond to recommendations and policy statements from the Commission;

(D) Identify areas for service improvement and policy development and implementation for presentation to the Mayor and the Commission by funding research, hosting symposia, and undertaking other projects;

(E) Coordinate efforts of District government agencies targeted toward returning citizens;

(F) Accept volunteer services and funding from public and private sources to supplement the budget in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Office;

(G) Apply for, receive, and expend any gift or grant to further the purposes of the Office;

(H) File an annual report on the operations of the Office with the Mayor and the Council;

(I) Meet and coordinate with members of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, as set forth in § 22-4233(a), and their designates, to disseminate information and recommendations to and from the voting members of the Commission[;]

(J) Establish a pilot program for Fiscal Year 2019 to provide transportation subsidies to returning citizens, pursuant to criteria to be developed by the Office, in the amount of $60,000[; and]

[(K)] By January 1, 2020, develop a plan to register qualified electors, as that term is defined in § 1-1001.02(2), who are in the custody of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, or are returning citizens, to vote and provide them with information about the voting rights of individuals currently incarcerated or with a criminal record in the District.

(3) The Office shall have staff as funded by appropriations and federal or private grants.

(4) The Director may communicate and coordinate with and seek information from the federal Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"), including by:

(A) Developing and maintaining a database containing the name, location of incarceration, and contact information for each District resident incarcerated by the BOP who is expected to be released within the next 6 months; and

(B) Contacting each District resident incarcerated by the BOP who is expected to be released within the next 6 months to provide:

(i) Information detailing available housing and employment resources, including any necessary application forms;

(ii) The Office's contact information; and

(iii) The necessary information to apply for birth certificates and non-driver identification cards.

(Mar. 8, 2007, D.C. Law 16-243, § 3, 54 DCR 605; Jan. 19, 2012, D.C. Law 19-80, § 2(a), 58 DCR 8908; Dec. 24, 2013, D.C. Law 20-61, § 3062(b), 60 DCR 12472; Dec. 13, 2018, D.C. Law 22-197, § 301(a), 65 DCR 9554; Apr. 26, 2019, D.C. Law 22-309, § 4, 66 DCR 909.)

This section is referenced in § 24-1301.

D.C. Law 19-80, in subsec. (b)(2), deleted “and” from the end of subpar. (G ), substituted “; and” for a period the end of par. (H), and added par. (I).

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 20-61 substituted “Office on Returning Citizens” for “Office on Ex-Offender Affairs” in the section heading and (a); and substituted “returning citizens” for “ex-offender” throughout the section.

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3072(a) of Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 22-458, Oct. 3, 2018, 65 DCR 11212).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3072(a) of Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 22-434, July 30, 2018, 65 DCR 8200).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3062(b) of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-130, July 30, 2013, 60 DCR 11384, 20 DCSTAT 1827).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3062(b) of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-204, October 17, 2013, 60 DCR 15341, 20 DCSTAT 2311).

Section 3061 of D.C. Law 20-61 provided that Subtitle G of Title III of the act may be cited as the “Returning Citizens Renaming Emergency Amendment Act of 2013”.

Applicability of D.C. Law 20-61: Section 11001 of D.C. Law 20-61 provided that, except as otherwise provided, the act shall apply as of October 1, 2013.