Bill > B26-0045

This bill amends the District of Columbia's consumer protection law to clarify the definition of "merchant" and specify when the District government can be considered a merchant. Specifically, the bill modifies the legal definition to explicitly state that the District of Columbia, its agencies, instrumentalities, and employees acting within their official duties are not considered merchants under the consumer protection law. However, there is a key exception for the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), which will remain subject to the consumer protection law's landlord-tenant relations provisions. This means that DCHA can be held accountable under consumer protection regulations when acting as a landlord, while other government entities are generally exempt. The bill includes retroactive applicability dates, with the merchant definition amendment applying from June 12, 2007, and the DCHA provision applying from December 19, 2016. The purpose appears to be providing legal clarity about the scope of consumer protection law as it relates to government entities, particularly in the context of housing and rental activities.

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0045