2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 1 - Government Organization › Chapter 11A - Ethics and Government Accountability › Subchapter III - Campaign Finance › Part E - Prohibited Activities and Enforcement › § 1–1163.36. Prohibition on the use of District government resources for campaign-related activities

§ 1–1163.36. Prohibition on the use of District government resources for campaign-related activities.
(a) Except as provided in [part C-i of this subchapter], no resources of the District of Columbia government, including the expenditure of funds, the personal services of employees during their hours of work, and nonpersonal services, including supplies, materials, equipment, office space, facilities, and telephones and other utilities, shall be used to support or oppose any candidate for public office, whether partisan or nonpartisan, or to support or oppose any initiative, referendum, or recall measure, including a charter amendment referendum conducted in accordance with § 1-203.03.
(b)(1) This section shall not prohibit the Chairman and members of the Council, the Mayor, the Attorney General, or the President and members of the State Board of Education from expressing their views on a District of Columbia election as part of their official duties.
(2) This subsection shall not be construed to authorize any member of the staff of the Chairman and members of the Council, the Mayor, the Attorney General, or the President and members of the State Board of Education, or any other employee of the executive or legislative branch to engage in any activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office, whether partisan or nonpartisan, an initiative, referendum, or recall measure during their hours of work, or the use of any nonpersonal services, including supplies, materials, equipment, office space, facilities, telephones and other utilities, to support or oppose an initiative, referendum, or recall matter.
(Apr. 27, 2012, D.C. Law 19-124, § 336, 59 DCR 1862; Dec. 13, 2013, D.C. Law 20-60, § 302(e), 60 DCR 15487; May 5, 2018, D.C. Law 22-94, § 2(b)(7), 65 DCR 2847; Mar. 13, 2019, D.C. Law 22-250, § 6(rr), 66 DCR 985.)
Effect of Amendments
The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 20-60 substituted “the Chairman and members of the Council, the Mayor, the Attorney General” for “the Mayor, the Chairman and members of the Council” in (b)(1); and substituted “the Mayor, the Chairman and members of the Council” for “the Chairman and members of the Council, the Mayor, the Attorney General in (b)(2).
Applicability
Section 7183 of D.C. Law 24-45 repealed section 10(a) of D.C. Law 22-250 removing the applicability provision impacting this section. Therefore the amendment of this section by Law 22-250 has been implemented.
Section 7183 of D.C. Act 24-159 repealed section 10(a) of D.C. Law 22-250 removing the applicability provision impacting this section. Therefore the amendment of this section by Law 22-250 has been implemented.
Applicability of D.C. Law 22-250: § 10 of D.C. Law 22-250 provided that the change made to this section by § 6(rr) of D.C. Law 22-250 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3(e) of the Election Code Conforming Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-143, July 31, 2013, 60 DCR 11799, 20 DCSTAT 1990).
Editor's Notes
Applicability of D.C. Law 20-60: Section 401(b) of 20-60 provided that § 302 of the act shall apply as of December 13, 2013.