The functions of the Office shall be to:
(1) Educate the public, including District residents and employers, about Unit A of this chapter (“Human Rights Act”);
(2) Undertake investigations and public hearings on racial, religious, or ethnic group tensions, prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, disorder, and on any form of unlawful discrimination pursuant to the Human Rights Act;
(3) Receive, review, and investigate complaints of unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, or educational institutions;
(4) Receive and investigate complaints of violations of § 32-501 et seq. and § 32-1201 et seq. and take appropriate enforcement action regarding these complaints;
(5) Mediate complaints of unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, or educational institutions to help parties to a complaint reach a voluntary settlement;
(6) Conciliate complaints of unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, or educational institutions, after the Office has made a finding of probable cause to believe that an act of unlawful discrimination has occurred, to help the parties to a complaint reach a voluntary settlement;
(7) Certify a complaint to the Office of the Corporation Counsel for legal action needed, in the Director’s judgment, to preserve the status quo or to prevent irreparable harm to a party to the complaint;
(8) Forward to the Commission on Human Rights, for a hearing, decision, and order, any complaint that has resulted in a finding of probable cause by the Office;
(9) Issue, adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind such rules and procedures as the Director deems necessary to effectuate the provisions of this unit, in accordance with procedures promulgated pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of this title;
(10) On or before January 2, 2018, develop and conduct a public information campaign to educate employees and employers about the requirements of Unit A of this chapter, pertaining to unlawful discriminatory practices based on the credit information of an individual; and
(11) Educate law enforcement officers about the impact of enforcement decisions on people experiencing homelessness, the protections from discrimination based on homeless status available pursuant to [this unit], and how to refer allegations of discrimination to the Office for evaluation.
(Oct. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 13-38, § 204, 46 DCR 6373; June 19, 2001, D.C. Law 13-313, § 8, 48 DCR 1873; Apr. 7, 2017, D.C. Law 21-256, § 3, 64 DCR 2045; Sept. 21, 2022, D.C. Law 24-172, § 3(c), 69 DCR 009218.)
D.C. Law 13-313 added par. (9).
Section 7030 of D.C. Law 22-33 repealed § 4 of D.C. Law 21-256. Therefore the changes made to this section by D.C. Law 21-256 have been implemented.
Applicability of D.C. Law 21-256: § 4 of D.C. Law 21-256 provided that the change made to this section by § 3 of D.C. Law 21-256 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.
For temporary (90 days) repeal of § 4 of D.C. Law 21-256, see § 7030 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-167, Oct. 24, 2017, 64 DCR 10802).
For temporary (90 days) repeal of § 4 of D.C. Law 21-256, see § 7030 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-104, July 20, 2017, 64 DCR 7032).
For temporary (90-day) addition of subchapter IV, see notes following § 2-1411.01.
Structure District of Columbia Code