In the DC Council's recent Legislative Meeting, two rare mayoral veto overides occured.
The first mayoral veto override was regarding a proposal to break the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) whose purpose is to regulate construction and business activity in Washington DC. The proposal breaks up the DCRA into two agencies:
Department of Buildings which would oversee construction, housing safety, and property maintenance.
Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection that would oversee DCRA’s other former responsibilities, including consumer-facing services and occupational licensing.
The Council's veto ensures that the breakup will proceed once the measure is funded.
The second mayoral veto override was regarding a proposal that would establish an independent Office of the Ombudsperson for Children. This office would report to the Council and its purpose is to improve the lices of children with ties to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) which is the public child welfare agency in Washington DC and is responsible for protecting child victims and those at risk of abuse and neglect and assisting their families. The Council's mayoral veto ensures that this office will be established once the measure is funded.