(a) There shall be established a fund designated as the Tree Fund, which shall be a sub-fund of the Local Road Construction and Maintenance Fund and separate from the General Fund of the District of Columbia. Monies deposited into the Tree Fund shall not revert to the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of any fiscal year or at any other time, but shall be continually available for the uses and purposes set forth in subsection (b) of this section pursuant to an act of Congress. Donations, fees and penalties collected pursuant to this chapter or any rules established to implement this chapter shall be deposited into the Tree Fund. All receipts shall be deposited as soon as practicable. The Director shall maintain the fund in coordination with the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.
(b) The Fund shall be used to plant trees and for any associated costs incurred by the District in administering this chapter, and shall include providing income-contingent subsidies to assist District residents with the removal costs of hazardous trees in accordance with regulations submitted for Council approval within 60 days of September 18, 2007. The Fund may include income-contingent subsidies for the replacement of trees when owners are required to remove hazardous trees.
(c) The Chief Financial Officer shall submit to the Mayor and to the Council an annual statement of all receipts and disbursements for the Fund.
(d) Private voluntary donations to the Fund shall be tax deductible for purposes of District income and franchise taxes.
CREDIT(S)
(June 12, 2003, D.C. Law 14-309, § 107, 50 DCR 888; Apr. 13, 2005, D.C. Law 15-354, § 21(a), 52 DCR 2638; Sept. 18, 2007, D.C. Law 17-20, § 6102, 54 DCR 7052.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 15-354, in subsec. (a), validated a previously made technical correction.
D.C. Law 17-20 rewrote subsec. (b), which had read as follows:
“(b) The Fund shall be used to plant trees and for any associated costs incurred by the District in administering this chapter, and may include providing income contingent subsidies that assist District residents with the removal costs of hazardous trees in accordance with regulations provided for in § 8-651.03.”
Emergency Act Amendments
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 6102 of Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-74, July 25, 2007, 54 DCR 7549).
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 14-309, see notes following § 8-651.01.
For Law 15-354, see notes following § 8-103.06.
Law 17-20, the “Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Support Act of 2007”, was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 17-148 which was referred to the Committee of the Whole. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on May 15, 2007, and June 5, 2007, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on June 28, 2007, it was assigned Act No. 17-63 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 17-20 became effective on September 18, 2007.
Miscellaneous Notes
Short title: Section 6101 of D.C. Law 17-20 provided that subtitle K of title VI of the act may be cited as the “Hazardous Tree Removal Subsidies for Low-Income Homeowners Amendment Act of 2007”.