Sponsor
Thomas Bryant Cotton
Senator · R-AR
Senator · R-AR
The bill gives DC stronger authority to clear public encampments and reduce visible homelessness in public spaces, but does so by criminalizing shelter-seeking in ways that create legal, financial, and health harms for people experiencing homelessness.
Residents and visitors in DC may see fewer public encampments, resulting in cleaner, more usable public spaces and a perception of improved public safety.
DC city agencies gain a clear legal authority to remove people and encampments from public property, simplifying enforcement and park/space management.
People experiencing homelessness in DC (including those with disabilities) will be pushed out of visible public spaces into less visible and potentially more dangerous locations, worsening health and safety outcomes.
Low-income and unhoused individuals risk fines, arrests, or jail for camping in public, creating immediate legal penalties and long-term consequences from criminal records.
Fines and potential jail time increase legal and financial burdens on vulnerable people, raising risks of debt, loss of employment opportunities, and barriers to obtaining housing.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Criminalizes camping on public property in D.C., punishable by up to $500 fine and/or up to 30 days imprisonment.
Official title: Impose criminal penalties for camping on public property in the District of Columbia.
Introduced July 29, 2025 by Thomas Bryant Cotton · Last progress July 29, 2025
Makes it a crime to "camp" on public property in the District of Columbia by defining "camp" as using any material to set up, maintain, or establish a temporary place of abode. A person convicted under the prohibition faces up to a $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both.