McDuffie Leads Council on Support for Nightlife Small Businesses and Mortgage Relief
The provisions, passed by the Council today, are an expansion and clarification of the previously passed Council legislation in response to coronavirus
Washington, DC – Today, Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, Chair Pro Tempore and Chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, and his Council colleagues passed legislation that clarified important transparency provisions of the mortgage protections included in the previously passed, COVID-19 Response Supplemental Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 [B23-734] and allow nightclubs to sell alcoholic beverages and food for off-premise purposes.
Mortgage Relief Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 [B23-735]
Councilmember McDuffie, as Chair of the Council Committee on Business and Economic Development, which has oversight of the DC Department of Banking, Securities, and Banking (DISB), has worked with the agency and housing stakeholders to draft these amendments to section 202 of the COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 [B23-733]. The changes to section 202:
- Clarify that mortgage lenders are subject to the requirements of the bill;
- Require lenders to provide notice of approved deferral applications to the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking;
- Require that a borrower approved for a mortgage deferral provide notice to their tenants;
- Clarify how the mortgage deferral is passed on to a borrower’s tenants; and
- Clarify the amount that a landlord may require a tenant to repay following the deferral period.
With passage of this amendment, Councilmember McDuffie said:
“At these uncertain times, it is important to provide all the relief that we responsibly can for District residents. I am proud to have led in drafting these clarifications that will help with implementation of mortgage relief as well as adding important transparency provisions to protect tenants.”
COVID-19 Response Supplemental Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 [B23-734]
Councilmember McDuffie, as Chair of the Council Committee on Business and Economic Development, which has oversight of the DC Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration, worked to expand the emergency provisions governing bars and restaurants so they are also applied to nightclubs. This would allow businesses holding C/N and D/N ABRA licenses to sell alcoholic beverages and food for off-premise purposes.
With passage of this amendment, Councilmember McDuffie said:
“Along with our entire hospitality industry, nightclubs are hurting. It is my hope this expansion can serve as a lifeline to some District businesses and allow them to continue to employ and serve District residents when the public health emergency is over.”
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