diff --git a/openstates/utils/__init__.py b/openstates/utils/__init__.py
index 58fd21e5d7..68029c5388 100644
--- a/openstates/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/openstates/utils/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from .lxmlize import LXMLMixin
+from .dir import mkdir_p
 import re
 
 
diff --git a/openstates/utils/dir.py b/openstates/utils/dir.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..00e48809b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openstates/utils/dir.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import errno
+import os
+
+def mkdir_p(path):
+    try:
+        os.makedirs(path)
+    except OSError as exc:  # Python >2.5
+        if exc.errno == errno.EEXIST and os.path.isdir(path):
+            pass
+        else:
+            raise
diff --git a/scripts/dc/dump_bill_json.py b/scripts/dc/dump_bill_json.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..03db2f7ffa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/dc/dump_bill_json.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+'''Dump JSON for a DC bill
+
+USAGE:
+
+    $ python dump_bill_json.py PR21-0316
+
+'''
+import json
+import pprint
+import sys
+
+import requests
+
+from openstates.utils import mkdir_p
+
+def main():
+    headers = {"Content-Type":"application/json"}
+    bill_url = "http://lims.dccouncil.us/_layouts/15/uploader/AdminProxy.aspx/GetPublicData"
+    try:
+        bill_id = sys.argv[1]
+    except IndexError:
+        msg = "\nERROR: You must supply a bill id! Example:\n\n\tpython {} PR21-0316\n".format(__file__)
+        sys.exit(msg)
+    bill_params = { "legislationId" : bill_id }
+    bill_info = requests.post(bill_url, headers=headers, data=json.dumps(bill_params))
+    bill_info = decode_json(bill_info.json()["d"])["data"]
+    output_dir = 'data/dc/bills_raw/'
+    outfile = "".join([output_dir, "{}.json".format(bill_id)])
+    mkdir_p(output_dir)
+    with open(outfile, 'w') as out:
+        json.dump(bill_info, out, sort_keys=True, indent=4, separators=(',', ': '))
+    pprint.pprint(bill_info)
+    print("\nRaw bill data saved: {}\n".format(outfile))
+
+def decode_json(stringy_json):
+    #the "json" they send is recursively string-encoded.
+    if type(stringy_json) == dict:
+        for key in stringy_json:
+            stringy_json[key] = decode_json(stringy_json[key])
+    elif type(stringy_json) == list:
+        for i in range(len(stringy_json)):
+            stringy_json[i] = decode_json(stringy_json[i])
+    elif type(stringy_json) in (str,unicode):
+        if len(stringy_json) > 0 and stringy_json[0] in ["[","{",u"[",u"{"]:
+            return decode_json(json.loads(stringy_json))
+    return stringy_json
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()