Judiciary & Public Safety Public Hearing

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY BROOKE PINTO, CHAIR REVISED NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON B25-291, the Safer Stronger Amendment Act of 2023; and B25-247, the Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2023 Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at 12:00 PM Room 500, John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 To watch live: Councilmember Pinto’s Youtube Page (www.youtube.com/@cmbrookepinto) DC Council Website (dccouncil.gov) Council Channel 13 (Cable Television Providers) Office of Cable Television Website (entertainment.dc.gov) On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, will hold a hearing on B25-291, the Safer Stronger Amendment Act of 2023 and B25-247, the Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2023. The hearing will begin at 12:00 PM in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004. Public witnesses will also have the option to testify virtually. The hearing will be broadcast live on DC Council Channel 13 and streamed live at www.dccouncil.us, entertainment.dc.gov, and youtube.com/@cmbrookepinto. B25-291, the Safer Stronger Amendment Act of 2023, includes a series of amendments aimed at improving public safety in the District. These changes include: • Increasing penalties for certain crimes, including violent crimes against individuals with physical or mental impairments, transit and for-hire vehicle workers, transit passengers, and people at public parks and recreation centers. The bill also creates a felony offense of strangulation. • Increasing penalties for possession of illegal firearms. • Making it easier for adults and youths who have been charged with certain dangerous or violent crimes to be held prior to adjudication. The bill would also allow youths who have been charged to be held prior to adjudication for their own protection. • Eliminating caps on reimbursements under the Private Security Camera System Incentive Program, which helps residents and business owners buy security cameras that can assist the Metropolitan Police Department in solving crimes. • Directing pretrial services agencies to provide GPS location data for individuals under supervision to MPD upon request; and making GPS data admissible in criminal proceedings. • Directing MPD to collect DNA samples from individuals who have been charged with first-degree sexual assault. • Expanding judicial discretion and adding to the list of considerations when individuals seek a reduced sentence under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act.  • Expanding the membership of the Sentencing Commission and giving the Chief of MPD a vote on the Commission. B25-247, the Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2023, would prohibit the practice of female genital mutilation and cutting (“FGM/C”) in the District. It would also prohibit a parent, guardian, or conservator from removing a person under their care from the District for the purpose of facilitating FGM/C in another state or country. Female genital mutilation and cutting is a harmful practice involving the full or partial removal, or injury to a woman’s external genitals. According to the World Health Organization, FGM/C is a practice with no valid medical purpose. Tragically, the practice still occurs across the United States, including in the District. The CDC has estimated that more than 51,000 women in the Washington metro area have undergone FGM/C in the past or are at risk. This bill would make it a criminal offense to engage in female genital mutilation and cutting; it would also create a private right of action for parties who are harmed by the practice. In addition, the bill would require that the Department of Health develop educational training and materials for community members and mandated reporters on the harms associated with FGM/C and how to recognize the signs that a person might be at risk. The Committee invites the public to testify or to submit written testimony, which will be made a part of the official record. Anyone wishing to testify should contact Ms. Aukima Benjamin, Committee Manager to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, at least 24 hours prior to the start of the hearing at (202) 724-8058 or via e-mail at judiciary@dccouncil.gov. Witnesses will have the option to testify in-person or virtually; witnesses should specify which option they are electing at the time they contact the Committee Manager. Witnesses who anticipate needing language interpretation, or requiring sign language interpretation, are requested to inform the Committee of the need as soon as possible but no later than five business days before the hearing, which is Tuesday, June 20, 2022. We will make every effort to fulfill timely requests; however, requests received in less than five business days may not be fulfilled and alternatives may be offered. If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record; testimony may be submitted to judiciary@dccouncil.gov. The public may also leave voicemail testimony for the Committee by calling (202) 630-7585, which will be transcribed and made part of the hearing record. Members of the public leaving voicemail testimony should speak slowly and clearly, state their full name and the organization they represent, if any, and note the bill, hearing, or agency that they are submitting testimony on. For privacy purposes, members of the public are asked to not provide an e-mail, phone number, or other personal contact information in voicemail testimony. The record will close at the end of the business day on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. This hearing notice was revised to reflect the removal of B25-135, the Illegal Dumping Enforcement Amendment Act of 2023, from the hearing agenda. 2