PR 26-0583 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Rate Plan Vacatur Interim Protections Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

This resolution declares an emergency to temporarily prevent electricity disconnections for District residents while a court order is reviewed. It addresses a situation where a court vacated a rate plan that had approved significant electricity rate increases, creating financial instability for consumers. The measure aims to pause service disconnections until the Public Service Commission restores rates to their previous levels or takes other action to ensure affordability. By adopting this resolution after a single reading, the Council seeks to provide immediate relief to residents facing potential utility shutoffs during this legal transition.

Issues: ✓ Energy

Sub-Topics: Utility Regulation Tags: Emergency Management

Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Council Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Mar 27, 2026 Signed Mar 31, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → Enrollment · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a proposed resolution to an enrolled, enacted law. The most significant substantive change is the renaming of the resolution to an 'Emergency Amendment Act,' which legally authorizes the Council to amend the Retail Electric Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 1999 to temporarily ban electricity disconnections. This change transforms the document from a declarative statement into a law that directly alters existing statutes to protect consumers during a rate dispute.

Scope change

The scope expanded from a declarative resolution to an enacted 'Emergency Amendment Act' that legally modifies the Retail Electric Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 1999.

ENFORCEMENT

The document title was changed from 'Resolution' to 'Emergency Amendment Act,' indicating it now has the force of law to amend existing statutes rather than just declaring an emergency.

REQUIREMENT

Section 3 was updated to state that the 'Emergency Amendment Act' must be adopted after a single reading, confirming the legislative process used to pass this new law.

TECHNICAL

The header listing Councilmember Janeese Lewis George was removed, as the bill is now an enrolled law rather than a draft proposal.

Minor formatting and punctuation adjustments were made throughout the text, such as adding quotation marks around acronyms like 'Commission' and 'Pepco' for clarity.

Floor votes · Council Mar 31, 2026

How they voted

9–4

Passed

Total votes 13

Mar 31, 2026

D Democratic11

8 Yea 3 Nay

72% Yea

I Independent2

1 Yea 1 Nay

50% Nay

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 (9-4)

council

Mar 27, 2026

Introduced

PR26-0583 Introduced by Councilmember Lewis George at Office of the Secretary

legislature

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors