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DC Omnibus Public Safety Act of 2005 Bill 16-247 |
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| The Mayor has introduced new legislation that increases criminalization of people involved in sex work, people who are homeless, and others. The 'Omnibus Public Safety Act of 2005' (Bill 16-247) has many facets, including proposals to create 'prostitution free zones' and to further criminalize prostitution. This bill comes on top of the mayor's reintroduction of another bill that criminalizes massage work. Click here to download a factsheet on the Omnibus Act. The Omnibus Act is being considered by the judiciary committee, chaired by Council-member Phil Mendelson (At-Large). Contact your Council-member if you are concerned about this bill. There is more information about what you can say to Council members below. Stay tuned for updates and give us your feedback, via email to darby-at-dfferentavenues.org Some are already criticizing the bill, the full text of which can be viewed here. Here is part of the legislation concerning sex work. Local organizations have formed an alliance, the Alliance for a Safe and Diverse DC, about the proposed legislation. This group has developed some strategies for working against the legislation. We always welcome more involvement. Currently, we have focused out efforts on testifying at City Council hearings, producing factsheets, setting up meetings with individual council members, and writing a letter to the Council for which we are seeking signatures of support, The first public hearing before the DC City Council Judiciary Committee was on May 31, which was continued to June 30. Several members of the Alliance for a Safe & Diverse DC testofied, including Penelope Saunders of Different Avenues, GiGi Thomas & Cyndee Caly of HIPS, and Ruby Bracamonte. They spoke eloquently about the negative impact the bill is likely to have on civil rights, as well as health promotion and violence prevention efforts. Read about it here. Email us if your organization would like to join the Alliance, or support in any other way. |
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| You could join us at our meetings, help spread the word, testify at the public hearing, or call your council members to tell them what you think of the bill. Information for contacting the committee: Committee on the Judiciary Phil Mendelson, Chairperson (202) 724-8064 pmendelson@dccouncil.washington.dc.us Sharon Ambrose (202) 724-8072 sambrose@dccouncil.us Kwame R. Brown (202) 724-8174 kbrown@dccouncil.us David A. Catania (202) 724-7772 Kathy Patterson (202) 724-8062 kpatterson@dccouncil.us Keep in mind, the most effective way to contact your councilmember is an original letter. But, if you don’t have enough time to write a letter, calling your councilmember is a quick and easy way to have impact on fighting these bills. The following is a sample script for making a call. When you call, they will normally let you say your piece without interrupting, so if you are uncomfortable/nervous, you can read from here. Even if you don’t want to say all this you can simply call and you oppose the bill without an explanation. Any call is helpful. “Hi. My name is ____________. I am a resident of Ward __. I am calling concerning two proposed bills in the District. First, the Omnibus Public Safety Act. This bill will push at risk communities further into the shadows making public health and safety work funded by the DC government difficult and ineffective—increasing violence and the incidence of HIV and STDs in the district. It will also likely lead to violation of constitutional rights of not only sex worker, or prostitutes, but homeless, youth, and other communities as well. Second, I oppose the Prostitution-related Nuisance Abatement Amendment Act because, like the Omnibus Act, it will increase the invisibility of at-risk, hard to reach populations and undermine health and safety efforts that fight to decrease violence and incidence of HIV and STDs. This bill will also disproportionately affect the immigrant population. Thank you.” Bills opposed by Alliance for a Safe and Diverse DC: Several titles of the Omnibus Public Safety Act of 2005, B16-247, particularly Title XX and Title XXI (which allow for the creation of prostitution-free zones) Prostitution-related Nuisance Abatement Act of 2005, B16-80 |
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