How to Request a REIA

The primary function of the Council Office of Racial Equity is to conduct Racial Equity Impact Assessments (REIAs). Review this page to learn about when a REIA is required and how to request one.

For more information on what a REIA is, check out our REIA explainer.

Which Council actions require a REIA?

A REIA is required for almost every piece of permanent legislation that the Council moves through the legislative process.

Racial equity impact assessments are not conducted on proposed resolutions, emergency legislation, temporary legislation, or the following types of permanent legislation:

  • Public space designations

  • Street or alley closures, openings, dedications, changes to building restriction lines, or highway plan amendments

  • General-obligation bond acts and revenue anticipation notes acts

  • Interstate compacts

  • Transfers of jurisdiction

  • Tax abatements, exemptions, rebates, and other tax legislation that is not of general applicability

  • Acts authorizing the issuance of specialty motor-vehicle identification tags

  • A Local Budget Act, a Budget Support Act, or a Federal Portion Budget Request Act

  • Enactment legislation or technical-amendment legislation or

  • Bills that have a hearing, but committees do not intend to mark up this Council Period.

When is a REIA written?

To understand when a REIA is written, it is first critical to understand how a bill moves through the Council:

  1. A bill is introduced by a Councilmember. This draft of the bill is referred to as the “introduced version.”

  2. The Chairman refers the bill to the appropriate committee or committees, based on the topics the bill covers.

  3. The assigned committee decides whether they want to move the bill forward in the legislative process.

  4. If the committee chooses to consider a bill, they must hold a public hearing to receive feedback and input on the bill from residents and government officials. People who share their feedback and input at the hearing are called “witnesses” and what they share is called “testimony.”

  5. After the public hearing, the committee decides whether to keep moving the bill forward.  If so, the committee can make changes to the introduced version of the bill, including incorporating feedback from the public hearing. The updated version of the bill is referred to as the “committee print.”

  6. The next step in the bill’s journey to becoming law is a meeting called a “markup.” At markup, the committee reviews the committee print and votes on whether to move it forward in the legislative process for consideration by all thirteen Councilmembers.

  7. But it’s not over yet! For more on what happens next, see How a Bill Becomes a Law.

In Council Period 25, the Council Office of Racial Equity can write up to two Racial Equity Impact Assessments during the life of a bill. First, we can write a REIA around the time of the bill’s public hearing, analyzing the introduced version of the bill. We can also write a REIA at the markup stage, analyzing the committee print.  

If the committee notifies us about a markup before we’ve issued the REIA on the bill as introduced, we can instead issue only one REIA, at the time of the committee markup. In addition, only one REIA will be written if the bill’s hearing was held last Council Period (2021-2022).

What is the REIA process at the hearing stage?

We initiate the REIA process at the hearing stage. The process looks like this:

  1. We monitor hearing notices in real time (both via Council calendar invites and the DC Register).

  2. When a hearing is scheduled for a REIA-eligible bill, we let the committee know we are starting the REIA on the introduced version of the bill.

  3. After a few days, we share our plain language rewrite of the bill with the committee for review and begin research. We watch the public hearing in near-real time.

  4. After the hearing record closes, we review the written testimony uploaded on the Council’s Hearing Management System.

  5. We finish the REIA on the introduced version and work with the committee to resolve any outstanding questions.

  6. Thirty days after the hearing record closes, we publish the REIA in our database and circulate the REIA to Council.

What is the REIA process at the committee markup stage?

The committee initiates the REIA process at the markup stage. The process looks like this:

  1. At least ten business days before markup, the committee submits a REIA request via this Microsoft form (login required). The REIA request must include the committee print and comparative print (if the bill is an amendment). A comparative print shows the differences between the current law and what the bill proposes to change.

    • If a bill is sequentially referred, the last committee in the sequence will request the REIA.

  2. We confirm receipt of required materials.

  3. We review the committee print and determine if a REIA on the committee print is required. If so, we share our “plain language rewrite” of the bill with the committee for review and begin research.

    • All pieces of permanent legislation that are eligible to receive a REIA will receive at least one REIA.

    • However, bills that receive a REIA on the introduced version of the bill may not always receive another REIA on the committee print. For example, we will not write a REIA on the committee print if there are no changes between the introduced version of the bill and the committee print. Other times, there will be changes between the bill drafts, but they do not substantially impact the REIA on the introduced version. In these cases, we will re-issue the REIA on the introduced version with an explanatory cover sheet (example).

  4. We finish the REIA on the committee print and work with the committee to resolve any outstanding questions.

  5. By the committee markup, we publish the REIA in our database and circulate the REIA to Council.

While REIA requests at the markup stage must be made at least ten business days in advance, the earlier we can see the committee print or have a heads up—the better!

I have a unique situation, what should I do?

No worries! Use the guidance below and if you are still unsure, email CORE Director Danaya Hough (dhough@dccouncil.gov).

  • If a bill has multiple hearings, we can conduct the REIA 30 days after the hearing record closes for any of the hearings.

  • If a bill had a hearing last Council Period and is being marked up this Council Period, follow the steps for a REIA at the committee markup stage.

  • In the event of a sequential referral (when a bill is sent to multiple committees to be considered), the final committee in the sequence is responsible for requesting a REIA ten business days in advance of the markup.

Which CORE team member will write the REIA?

Our director will assign REIA requests to the appropriate CORE staff analyst. Our analysts are designated as lead or co-lead of committees. Assignments are as follows:

DANAYA HOUGH
dhough@dccouncil.gov

Lead, Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs
Co-Lead, Committee of the Whole
Co-Lead, Judiciary and Public Safety
Co-Lead, Facilities and Family Services
Co-Lead, Business and Economic Development

MILIKA ROBBINS
mrobbins@dccouncil.gov

Lead, Transportation and the Environment
Lead, Hospital and Health Equity
Co-Lead, Health
Co-Lead, Business and Economic Development


JARRED BOWMAN
jbowman@dccouncil.gov

Education Lead, Committee of the Whole
Co-Lead, Facilities and Family Services
Co-Lead, Health

ROLANDO CUEVAS
rcuevas@dccouncil.gov

Lead, Housing
Lead, Public Works and Operations
Co-Lead, Facilities and Family Services

SARINA PHU
sphu@dccouncil.gov

Lead, Executive Administration and Labor
Co-Lead, Judiciary and Public Safety

If a REIA concludes a bill will contribute to racial inequity, can it pass?

Yes. Council Rules say that the Council can still consider or pass a bill regardless of a REIA’s findings. In other words, a REIA is not binding.

However, if a Racial Equity Impact Assessment identifies a negative impact on racial equity, the bill may be placed on the non-consent agenda at the legislative meeting.

In addition, a summary of the REIA and the committee’s response to the REIA must be included in the bill’s Committee Report.

Anything else I should know?

  • Our office is a resource! We welcome collaboration at any time in the legislative process. If you aren’t sure who to reach out to, email the team (CORE@dccouncil.gov).

  • A Councilmember can ask us to conduct a REIA on any matter related to their committee(s) as long as the request does not interfere with us conducting REIAs that are required (for reference, see rule 311e in the Council Period 25 Rules).

  • We can only conduct a REIA at the request of a Councilmember. District residents who are interested in a REIA on a specific topic should contact a Councilmember to express this interest and/or concern. (Visit the Council website to see current Councilmember committee assignments and staff contact information.)

  • Check out our tool and resources to incorporate a racial equity lens into the legislation design process.

Header mural painted by Eric B. Ricks as part of DPW's MuralsDC program.