B 26-0049 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Seasonal Pricing and Price Gouging Amendment Act of 2025

This bill modifies Washington D.C.'s price gouging laws to establish a seasonal pricing model for rental vehicles. It defines "normal average retail price" using prior-year pricing from the same week and month in the Washington Metropolitan Area (per U.S. Census definitions), effective for 2026 and later. The law also adds "public health emergency" as a trigger for price gouging prohibitions. These changes directly affect rental car companies operating in the D.C. metropolitan area and aim to protect consumers from excessive pricing during seasonal fluctuations.

Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Council Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Aug 2026

Introduced Jan 13, 2025 Signed Aug 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossment → Enrollment · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and enacted into law, changing its title from 'Amendment Act' to 'Act' and updating the description of penalties from 'punitive measures' to 'remedies'. The core policy regarding price gouging and stockpiling remains substantively the same, with minor formatting adjustments to the legal text structure.

Scope change

The scope of the law remains unchanged; it still applies to price gouging and stockpiling during natural disasters or public emergencies in the District of Columbia.

TECHNICAL

The bill's title was updated from 'Amendment Act' to 'Act' to reflect its final status as enrolled legislation.

Minor formatting changes were made to the legal text, including removing page headers and adjusting line breaks to match the final enrolled version.

DEFINITION

The section title for price gouging was changed from 'Section 28-4102' to 'Overcharging' for clarity, while the definition for stockpiling was moved to a new section 28-4102.01.

ENFORCEMENT

The language describing consequences for violations was changed from 'penalties' to 'remedies,' indicating a shift in how the law frames the response to violations.

Floor votes · Council Mar 31, 2026

How they voted

13–0

Passed

Total votes 13

Mar 31, 2026

D Democratic11

11 Yea

100% Yea

I Independent2

2 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 31, 2026

Council · Passed

Council Vote: pass (13-0)

council

Feb 3, 2026

Legislature · Passed

Committee Mark-up of B26-0049 by the Committee of the Whole

legislature

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee of the Whole

legislature

Jan 13, 2025

Introduced

B26-0049 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

legislature

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors