Clean and Managed Public Spaces Act
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The bill would make it a crime, punishable by up to a $500 fine, 30 days in jail, or both, to camp outdoors on public property in Washington, D.C.
It targets homeless encampments on federal and city-owned land in the District, adding a criminal penalty where none currently exists under this specific D.C. code provision.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the District of Columbia's criminal code to add a new offense: camping outdoors on public property without lawful authority. "Camping" is defined broadly to include erecting or using tents, tarps, or other temporary shelters for living accommodations, sleeping or preparing to sleep in or near a vehicle, and laying out a sleeping bag, blanket, or bedding material outdoors. A violation would be punishable by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both. The bill is narrow in scope: it applies only to public property within the District of Columbia and does not address private property, other cities, or federal lands outside D.C. It does not create funding for shelters, outreach, or enforcement, and does not direct any agency to develop an implementation plan beyond the criminal penalty itself.
Key provisions
- 1Would make it a crime to camp outdoors without lawful authority on public property in the District of Columbia, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both
- 2Defines 'camping' to include erecting or using tents, tarps, or temporary shelters, sleeping in or near vehicles, and using sleeping bags or bedding outdoors for living accommodations
Who would be affected
People experiencing homelessness who camp or shelter outdoors on public property in Washington, D.C., along with the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. courts that would enforce and adjudicate the new offense. City agencies managing parks, sidewalks, and other public spaces in the District are also affected.
Why it matters
If enacted, people sleeping outdoors on D.C. public land could face criminal charges, fines, or jail time rather than only civil removal or outreach responses. The change could reshape how the city and federal authorities respond to homelessness in the District, shifting some encounters from social services toward the criminal justice system.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends D.C. Official Code sec. 22-3302 (Act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901) (Sec. 2)
Adds a new subsection criminalizing outdoor camping on public property in D.C. with fines and jail time, and defines 'camping'
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5163 would have no cost to the federal government.
H.R. 5163, the Clean and Managed Public Spaces Act, would impose civil and criminal penalties for camping on public property within the District of Columbia. Because the bill's effects are limited to the District of Columbia, CBO estimates no federal budgetary impact — no change to federal direct spending, revenues, or the deficit. CBO did not identify any intergovernmental or private-sector mandates exceeding statutory thresholds.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 294.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill prohibits camping outdoors on public property in the District of Columbia. The penalty for a violation of the prohibition is a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
Legislative subjects
Crime and Law Enforcement; Criminal procedure and sentencing; District of Columbia; Homelessness and emergency shelter
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-342