The D.C. Council approved the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act in the first reading by an 11-2 vote on Tuesday.
Council members Christina Henderson (I-At Large) and Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7) voted against the bill.
The Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act removes criminal penalties for street vending and allows the mayor to establish sidewalk vending zones, starting in Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant in Northwest. The legislation also waives licensing-related civil citations for vendors who obtain an individual sidewalk vending license or register with a sidewalk vending zone manager.
Other aspects of the bill include the significant reduction of licensure costs, abolishment of criminal background check requirements for vendors applying for their license and the removal of barriers that prevent licensed vendors from selling multicultural food and whatever else they cook in their home kitchen.
Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), who chairs the Committee on Public Works and Operations, co-introduced the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act with Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) earlier this year.
In prior years, the legislation appeared before the council as two separate bills, in part inspired by a teenage vendor’s violent encounter with the Metropolitan Police Department.
While council members spoke highly about the bill, some still raised concerns. For instance, Henderson (I-At Large), Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) and Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5) said they wanted a deeper exploration of how the D.C. Department of Health would be able to regulate the sale of home-cooked food. Pinto also spoke about how best to prevent the sale of marijuana in vending zones.
Even so, the bill passed the first reading. In her remarks, Nadeau acknowledged the group of street vendors and advocates who were in the council chambers. In reflecting on the years of advocacy that laid the foundation for this moment, Nadeau said that street vendors must be provided opportunities to flourish in the District without interruption.
“Street vendors contribute to the atmosphere of Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant and other diverse neighborhoods,” Nadeau said. “It’s an essential part of what makes Ward 1 beautiful. They contribute to their families. After the well-known incident in 2019 … that spot is lifted up. That’s a symbolic victory, alongside all the tangible victories contained in this bill.”