This temporary act grants a property tax exemption for the real property at 219 Riggs Road, NE in the District of Columbia, identified as Lot 0005, Square 3766. The exemption applies only while the property is owned by Food & Friends, Inc. and used by Food & Friends, Inc. or a lessee to provide charitable food distribution or related services.
The bill specifies that the exemption covers the property and improvements on it, but only 97% of the land is exempt; the remaining 3% stays taxable. It also states that the exemption is in addition to, not in place of, any other tax relief or assistance available to Food & Friends, Inc. The act is temporary, applies as of October 1, 2025, and expires 225 days after taking effect.
Impact
The bill amends Chapter 10 of Title 47 of the D.C. Official Code by adding a new property-specific exemption provision for Food & Friends, Inc. It changes the tax treatment of a single parcel by exempting most of the land and all improvements from the real property tax imposed under Chapter 8, so long as the property continues to be used for charitable food distribution or related services. Because it is temporary and narrowly tailored, the measure affects one nonprofit property rather than the broader property tax code.
Sentiment
The recorded votes show strong support and no opposition, with unanimous 13-0 approval on both first reading and final reading. There were no committee transcripts provided, but the voting history suggests the bill was viewed favorably and as a routine charitable tax relief measure. The lack of dissent indicates broad agreement on supporting Food & Friends’ mission and the limited, site-specific nature of the exemption.
Contention
No notable contention appears in the available record. The only potentially relevant policy detail is that the exemption is partial rather than complete, with 3% of the land remaining taxable, and that the benefit is conditioned on continued charitable use by Food & Friends or a lessee. Otherwise, the bill appears noncontroversial and narrowly focused on preserving tax relief for a nonprofit food-distribution site.