(a) During the public health emergency declared in the Mayor's order dated March 11, 2020 and any extensions thereof, the Washington Convention and Sports Authority ("Events DC") shall issue, subject to the availability of funds, grants or contracts to nonprofit entities to use to provide cash assistance to District residents who are otherwise excluded from District and federal aid related to COVID-19. To qualify for cash assistance from grants or contracts awarded pursuant to this section, a District resident shall, at the time of application for assistance under this section:
(1) Demonstrate loss of income due to the public health emergency;
(2)(A) Be ineligible for:
(i) Unemployment insurance; or
(ii) COVID-19 relief; or
(B) Be a returning citizen, as defined by § 24-1301(5), whose incarceration ended on March 11, 2020 or later; and
(3) Provide a:
(A) Signed certification that the resident's loss of income stems from the public health emergency; and
(B) Proof of residency and eligibility for relief, as determined by Events DC and consistent with rules and standards for COVID-19 relief programs administered by Events DC.
(b) Any entity receiving a grant or contract pursuant to this section may use no more than 10% of the grant for administrative expenses incurred from administering the cash assistance program.
(c) Cash assistance provided to eligible individuals pursuant to this section shall not be considered in determining eligibility for any means-tested programs administered by the District.
(d) For the purposes of this section the term:
(1) "COVID-19" means the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
(2) COVID-19 relief" means federal monetary unemployment assistance provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, approved March 27, 2020 (134 Stat. 281; 15 U.S.C. § 9001 et seq.), which shall include tax credits but shall not include federal Economic Impact Payments or other stimulus relief for which eligibility is not contingent on the recipient's employment status.
(Sept. 28, 1994, D.C. Law 10-188, § 203a; as added Dec. 3, 2020, D.C. Law 23-149, § 7212, 67 DCR 10493; Apr. 27, 2021, D.C. Law 23-280, § 3, 68 DCR 1156.)