B 26-0776

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2Councilmember Doni Crawford
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5A BILL
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9IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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14 To designate the District of Columbia as the nation's Tech for Good Capital; to amend Chapter
1518 of Title 47 of the District of Columbia Official Code to establish a real property tax
16abatement for qualified public-interest technology companies that create jobs in the
17District; to authorize the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to
18convene and support Tech for Good innovation clusters; and to establish a Tech for Good
19Working Group to develop a District-wide marketing and economic development
20strategy.
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22BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
23 act may be cited as the “Official Tech for Good Capital Designation Amendment Act of 2026”.
24TITLE I. DESIGNATION OF THE DISTRICT AS THE TECH FOR GOOD
25 CAPITAL.
26Sec. 101. Short title.
27This title may be cited as the “Sense of the Council on the Designation of the District of
28 Columbia as the Tech for Good Capital Act of 2026”.
29Sec. 102. The Council finds that:
30(1) The District’s economy has long been closely tied to the federal government, making
31 it particularly vulnerable to federal workforce reductions and broader shifts in federal
32 employment and spending.
33(2) Recent federal workforce displacement and economic uncertainty have underscored
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34 the need for the District to diversify and strengthen its private-sector economy while creating
35 new pathways to economic opportunity for District residents.
36(3) As the nation’s capital with one of the most highly educated workforces in the
37 country, the District has a concentration of public-sector expertise, mission-driven organizations,
38 and innovation-focused institutions whose work focuses on solving public problems. These
39 unique assets best position the District to lead the development, testing, and scaling of
40 technologies and innovations that address the nation’s most pressing public-interest challenges.
41(4) Establishing a clear economic identity around mission-driven innovation can help
42 attract businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and workers while strengthening the
43 District’s long-term economic competitiveness.
44Sec. 103. It is the sense of the Council that the District of Columbia shall be designated
45 as the nation’s “Tech for Good Capital”.
46TITLE II. QUALIFIED PUBLIC-INTEREST TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES.
47Sec. 201. Short title.
48This title may be cited as the “Public-Interest Technology Business Incentives
49 Amendment Act of 2026”.
50Sec. 202. Title 47 of the District of Columbia Code is amended as follows:
51(a) The table of contents for Chapter 18 is amended by adding a new subchapter heading
52 to read as follows:
53“Subchapter XVII-A. Qualified Public-Interest Technology Companies.
54(b) A new subchapter is added to read as follows:
55“Subchapter XVIII-A. Qualified Public-Interest Technology Companies
56“47-1818.21. Definitions.
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57“For the purposes of this subchapter, the term:
58“(1) “Abatement period” means October 1, 2027 through the date when an
59 abatement provided for in this subchapter is exhausted or forfeited, or otherwise expires in
60 accordance with this subchapter.
61“(2) “New hire” means an individual who was not employed by a Qualified
62 Public-Interest Technology Company before calendar year 2025 and was, or is:
63“(A) Hired to fill a position of indefinite duration consisting of a minimum
64work week of 35 hours for not less than 50 weeks per year;
65“(B) Not:
66“(i) A member of the board of directors of the Qualified Public-
67 Interest Technology Company;
68“(ii) A direct or indirect owner of more than 5% of the Qualified
69 Public-Interest Technology Company;
70“(iii) A spouse or dependent, as these terms are defined in section
71 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, approved October 22, 1986 (Pub. L. No. 99-514; 100
72 Stat. 2085), of any individual defined in sub-subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph; or
73“(iv) Hired under the conditions set forth in section § 47-
74 1817.03(b)(3); and
75“(C) Employed by a Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company for at
76 least 6 months in the District of Columbia.
77“(3) “New hire wage credit” means a credit equal to 10% of the wages paid
78 during the first 24 calendar months of employment to a new hire, accrued annually up to $5,000
79 per new hire per tax year, up to a maximum amount of the new hire wage credit cap.
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80“(4) “New hire wage credit cap” means a ceiling of $15 million.
81“(5) “Public-interest technology” means a technology product, service, platform,
82 research initiative, or innovation primarily intended to address public-interest challenges and
83 improve outcomes in areas including, but not limited to, civic engagement, government service
84 delivery, education, workforce development, climate resilience, public health, economic
85 inclusion, housing, transportation, or other areas identified by the Mayor. The term shall not
86 include a technology whose public benefit is incidental, speculative, or limited to the ordinary
87 commercial benefits of the technology.
88“(6) “Qualified High Technology Company” shall have the same meaning as
89 provided in section § 47-1817.01(5).
90“(7) “Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company” means a company that:
91“(A) Is a Qualified High Technology Company;
92“(B) Is maintaining an office, headquarters, or base of operations
93in the District of Columbia; and
94“(C) Is primarily engaged in the research, development, testing,
95scaling, commercialization, sale, or distribution of public-interest technology.
96“(8) “Qualified real property” means real property located in the District of
97 Columbia on which a commercial office building is owned or leased by a Qualified Public-
98 Interest Technology Company for use as a corporate office.
99“(9) “Real property” shall have the same meaning as provided in section § 47-
100 802(1).
101“(10)(A) “Related entity” means, with respect to a Qualified Public-Interest
102 Technology Company, any other person or entity that is a Qualified High Technology Company
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103 and is directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the
104 Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company or is a successor to the Qualified Public-Interest
105 Technology Company by merger, consolidation, or operation of law.
106“(B) For the purposes of this paragraph, the terms “controlling,”
107 “controlled by,” and “under common control with” mean the possession, directly or indirectly, or
108 the power to direct, or cause the direction of, the management and policies of a Qualified Public-
109 Interest Technology Company, whether through ownership of voting securities, membership
110 interests, or partnership interests by contract or otherwise, or the power to elect at least 50% of
111 the directors, managers, or partners exercising similar authority with respect to the Qualified
112 Public-Interest Technology Company.
113“(12) “Resident” means an individual whose principal residence is located in the
114 District of Columbia and who is subject to District of Columbia personal income tax.
115“(13) “Resident hiring factor” means the applicable percentage contained in this
116 paragraph if a Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company achieves, or has achieved, the
117 following annual resident new hire proportion goals:
118“(A) One hundred percent if at least 50% of new hires are residents in a
119 calendar year.
120“(B) Seventy-five percent if at least 40% but less than 50% of new hires
121 are residents in a calendar year.
122“(C) Fifty percent if less than 40% of new hires are residents in a calendar
123 year.
124“(14) “Unrelated entity” means a person or entity that is not a related entity.”.
125“47-1818.22. Tax credits to Qualified Public-Interest Technology Companies.
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126“(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section and section 47-1818.23, the real property
127 taxes imposed by Chapter 8 of this title with respect to qualified real property shall be abated up
128 to the amount of the new hire wage credit until the new hire wage credit is exhausted or
129 forfeited, provided that:
130“(1) The annual new hire wage credit amount accrued shall be determined as of
131 the end of each calendar year by multiplying the total new hire wage credit earned by a Qualified
132 Public-Interest Technology Company in each calendar year by the annual resident hiring factor
133 in the same calendar year. The total new hire wage credit amount shall be the aggregate of the
134 new hire wage credit amount earned in each calendar year, subject to the new hire wage credit
135 cap. The amount of any new hire wage credit earned in a calendar year shall be based on new
136 hire information reported by a Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company to the Office of
137 Tax and Revenue in its corporate tax filing for each calendar year.
138“(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, no person shall claim
139 an abatement pursuant to this section before October 1, 2027.
140“(3) If a Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company leases or subleases any
141 portion of the qualified real property, the new hire wage credit shall be applied only to a pro rata
142 portion of the assessment on the qualified real property, which shall equal the ratio of the square
143 footage of building area on the qualified real property that the Qualified Public-Interest
144 Technology Company occupies to the total square footage of building area that could be
145 occupied.
146“(b)(1) An abatement provided for in this section shall only be granted if:
147“(A) The Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company continues for the
148 duration of the abatement period to be a Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company;
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149“(B) The Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company hires at least 50
150 new hires annually in the District of Columbia during each year of the abatement period, and
151 certifies the new hires to the Department of Employment Services;
152“(C) The Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company publicly posts
153 employment opportunities on a workforce or talent platform designated by the Deputy Mayor for
154 Education;
155“(D) The Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company participates,
156 upon request, in a District-led innovation cluster convened or supported by the Deputy Mayor for
157 Planning and Economic Development, established pursuant to section 302 of the Tech for Good
158 Innovation Clusters Act of 2026, introduced on July ___, 2026 (Introduced version of Bill 26-
159 ____);
160“(E) If the qualified real property is leased to the Qualified Public-Interest
161 Technology Company, the lease is for a period of at least 10 years and the owner of the real
162 property passes the abatement through to the Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company;
163“(F) The Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company continues to
164 occupy a qualified real property from its initial occupancy of the qualified real property
165 throughout the duration of the abatement period;
166“(G) If the Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company owns the
167 qualified real property, the qualified real property is not during the abatement period:
168“(i) Sold, transferred, exchanged, or otherwise conveyed; or
169“(ii) Leased to an unrelated entity in excess of 50% of the gross
170 floor area;
171“(H) If the Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company leases qualified
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172 real property, the lease is not, during the abatement period:
173“(i) Assigned to a third party, other than to a related entity; or
174“(ii) Subleased to an unrelated entity in excess of 50% of the gross
175 floor area; and
176“(I) The Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company has not filed a
177 petition in bankruptcy in connection with the Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company’s
178 business.
179“(2) If a Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company fails or ceases to comply
180 with or achieve the provisions of paragraph (1)(A) through (I) of this subsection, any abatement
181 provided for in this section shall immediately terminate and cease to be granted.
182“47-1818.23. Certification.
183“(a) Upon application of the Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company, the Mayor
184 shall certify to the Office of Tax and Revenue the identity of each Qualified Public-Interest
185 Technology Company for which eligibility for an abatement pursuant to this subchapter has been
186 verified by the Mayor and shall provide a description of the qualified real property that is to
187 receive an abatement and the date on which the abatement shall commence.
188“47-1818.24. Tax credits to Qualified Public-Interest Technology Companies;
189 exceptions.
190“A Qualified Public-Interest Technology company that utilizes, or is the beneficiary of,
191 the real property tax abatement for certain commercial properties provided in § 47-811.03 during
192 the abatement period shall not be eligible for the abatement authorized in this subchapter, and
193 further, the utilization of, or being the beneficiary of, the abatements provided for in section 47-
194 1818.22 shall disqualify a Qualified Public-Interest Technology Company from eligibility for the
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195 real property tax abatement for certain commercial properties provided in section 47-811.03.”.
196TITLE III. TECH FOR GOOD INNOVATION CLUSTERS.
197Sec. 301. Short title.
198This title may be cited as the “Tech for Good Innovation Clusters Act of 2026”.
199Sec. 302. Tech for Good innovation clusters.
200(a) The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development may convene or support
201 innovation clusters related to public-interest technology as defined in D.C. Official Code § 47-
202 1818.21(5).
203(b) Innovation clusters established or supported pursuant to this section may include
204 participation by:
205(1) Qualified public-interest technology companies, as defined in D.C. Official
206 Code § 47-1818.21(6);
207(2) Institutions of higher education;
208(3) Workforce development providers;
209(4) 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations;
210(5) Investors and philanthropic organizations;
211(6) Research institutions;
212(7) Government agencies; and
213(8) Other stakeholders identified by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and
214 Economic Development.
215(c) Innovation clusters established or supported pursuant to this section shall engage in
216 one or more of the following activities:
217(1) Cross-sector collaboration;
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218(2) Research and commercialization partnerships;
219(3) Workforce pipeline development;
220(4) Entrepreneurial support;
221(5) Investment attraction;
222(6) Shared problem-solving initiatives;
223(7) Industry convenings; or
224(8) Other activities to support the growth of the public-interest technology sector
225 as identified by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
226TITLE IV. TECH FOR GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY.
227Sec. 401. Short title.
228This title may be cited as the “Tech for Good Marketing Strategy Act of 2026”.
229Sec. 402. Tech for Good Working Group.
230(a) There is established a Tech for Good Working Group.
231(b) The Working Group shall be convened by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and
232 Economic Development.
233(c) The Working Group shall include representatives from:
234(1) The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development;
235(2) The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education;
236(3) The Department of Employment Services;
237(4) Institutions of higher education located in the District;
238(5) Qualified public-interest technology companies as defined in D.C. Official
239 Code § 47-1818.21(6);
240(6) Workforce development organizations;
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241(7) Nonprofit organizations focused on innovation or economic mobility;
242(8) The investment or entrepreneurial community; and
243(9) Other stakeholders identified by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and
244 Economic Development.
245(d) The Working Group shall:
246(1) Develop recommendations for a District-wide “Tech for Good” marketing and
247 branding strategy;
248(2) Identify opportunities to attract qualified public-interest technology companies
249 to the District as defined in D.C. Official Code § 47-1818.21(6);
250(3) Identify strategies to strengthen workforce pipelines into innovation-focused
251 industries for District residents;
252(4) Recommend opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and ecosystem
253 development;
254(5) Identify barriers to growth within public-interest technology sectors; and
255(6) Recommend additional policies or investments as identified by the Deputy
256 Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
257(e) Within one year after the effective date of this title, the Working Group shall submit a
258 report to the Council summarizing its findings and recommendations.
259TITLE V. STANDARD PROVISIONS
260Sec. 401. Fiscal impact statement.
261The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
262 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,
263 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
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264Sec. 402. Effective date.
265This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the
266 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review
267 as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December
268 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)).
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