The Safe Neighborhoods Amendment Act of 2025 establishes the Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Agency (ONES), an independent agency to coordinate the District’s existing violence prevention efforts, including the Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Offices (NEAR Offices) created under the 2016 law. It creates a dedicated Office of Neighborhood Engagement and Safety Administration Fund, funded by District appropriations, grants, and public/private donations, to support program operations without annual budget restrictions. The bill amends several related laws to align with ONES’ structure, including updating roles for the Director (requiring 5+ years in violence prevention) and revising police recruitment and housing benefit provisions for first responders. This bill directly affects District agencies managing violence prevention, public safety funding, and police workforce programs.
This is a procedural resolution confirming Mayor Bowser's appointment of Jenny Epstein to fill a vacant seat on the District of Columbia's Child Fatality Review Committee. The committee, established by law to review child fatalities and identify systemic issues, is seeking a community representative from Ward 3. Epstein, a lawyer with extensive experience in child abuse and neglect cases, will serve until July 16, 2025. The resolution requires the Council to formally approve the appointment, with no substantive policy changes.
This is a procedural resolution (PR 26-0027), not a policy bill. It confirms Mayor Bowser's nomination of Dr. Erica Richards for reappointment as a hospital representative on the District of Columbia's Violence Fatality Review Committee. The resolution formally appoints her for a term ending October 12, 2027, as required under D.C. Law 22-168 (the Fatality Review Committee Amendment Act of 2018). It does not change committee procedures or policies - it solely confirms an existing appointment.
The "Settlement of Actions Involving Minor Children Act of 2025" (Bill B 26-0056) changes how settlements for minor children are managed in civil cases. It eliminates mandatory guardianship for settlements, requiring court approval for any settlement of $10,000 or more. All settlement funds must be paid to a trustee in a blocked account until the child turns 18 (with exceptions for medical or education expenses), though courts may approve alternative arrangements like special needs trusts. This directly affects minors receiving settlements in civil actions and the adults handling those funds.
The Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act of 2025 requires businesses that file federal antitrust merger notifications (under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act) to also submit the same documents to the District of Columbia Attorney General simultaneously. It applies to businesses with their principal place of business in DC or those with at least 20% of their annual sales in DC related to the transaction. The bill mandates electronic filing of merger documents, adds confidentiality protections restricting sharing to federal agencies and other adopting states, and authorizes civil penalties for noncompliance. This streamlines DC’s review process by eliminating the need for costly subpoenas while reducing delays for businesses.
This bill, the "ERASE Solitary Confinement Act of 2025," prohibits segregated confinement (solitary confinement) in District of Columbia jails and strictly limits the use of "safe cells" for non-emergency situations. It requires the Department of Corrections to ensure incarcerated people with mental health emergencies receive appropriate healthcare, defined as timely, respectful care meeting professional standards, and mandates the Department to create a plan to eliminate segregated confinement while reporting on its impacts. The law directly affects all people held in DC jails, particularly those with mental health needs who would previously be placed in solitary or restricted cells. Key mechanisms include banning disciplinary housing for punishment, guaranteeing minimum out-of-cell time (8 hours daily), and establishing clear healthcare rights for incarcerated individuals.
This is a procedural confirmation resolution, not a policy bill. It formally asks the Council of the District of Columbia to confirm Mayor Bowser's appointment of Dr. Unique N. Morris-Hughes to fill a vacant seat on the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DCWSA) Board of Directors. Dr. Morris-Hughes, currently Director of the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, will serve the remainder of Keith Anderson's unexpired term ending September 12, 2027. The resolution provides the necessary legal step for her appointment to the DCWSA board, which oversees the District's water and sewer services.
This bill removes exemptions for motorcycles and motor-driven cycles from several District of Columbia vehicle laws. It requires motor vehicle dealers to provide written notice about a vehicle's classification and registration requirements before sale, and prohibits rental companies from renting vehicles with false identifying information or improper registration. The bill also mandates that rental companies register all motorcycle and motor-driven cycle vehicles in their fleets. These changes directly affect motorcycle dealers, rental businesses, and consumers purchasing or renting these vehicles in the District.
The Sexual Harassment Investigation Integrity Amendment Act of 2025 requires that sexual harassment complaints against specific high-level District government employees - such as mayoral appointees, agency directors, and staff who report directly to the Mayor - be investigated by the Inspector General, not the involved agency. The Inspector General must hire independent legal experts with sexual harassment expertise to conduct prompt investigations and issue reports. These investigations must also assess whether government resources were misused and whether workplace culture or management practices contributed to the harassment. The bill applies directly to District government employees in these designated roles and aims to ensure impartial handling of complaints.
This bill requires the Historic Preservation Review Board to add Historic African American burial grounds to the District's official inventory of historic landmarks and districts. It defines these sites as pre-1955 burial locations for African Americans owned by public or charitable entities, mandating inclusion of their location, ownership, and any disputes in the inventory and city maps. The Mayor must also report annually on the preservation status of these burial grounds, including efforts to register sites not yet listed in official historic records. The bill directly affects the Historic Preservation Review Board, the Mayor's office, and city planning departments. It focuses on formal recognition and documentation of these culturally significant sites.
This bill renames a specific middle school in Washington, D.C. (located on Euclid St N.W., 9th St N.W., Barry Pl N.W., and Route 29) to "Dolores Tucker Middle School" to honor Dolores Williams Tucker's community activism and contributions to Ward 1, D.C., and the U.S. The designation follows standard procedures under existing District laws for naming public facilities. It has no fiscal impact or policy changes beyond the school's official name. The bill requires approval by the Mayor or Council override of a veto, plus congressional review, before taking effect.
The Housing Capacity Preservation Amendment Act of 2025 amends historic preservation law to ensure the Historic Preservation Review Board cannot require new construction projects to reduce housing units or density below what is permitted by current zoning rules. This directly affects developers and property owners seeking to build new housing in historic districts or near landmarks, as their projects require Board review. The key provision adds that the Board’s findings of incompatibility must not be based on requirements that would lower housing capacity - such as unit count or density - below the zoning allowance. The bill clarifies that historic preservation reviews must respect existing zoning standards, preventing the Board from imposing stricter housing limits than local zoning laws permit.
