Council Judiciary and Public Safety

The First Responders Facilities Modernization Act of 2026 creates a structured process to update and maintain facilities for the District's police and fire departments. It requires the Mayor to establish a new office dedicated to developing a comprehensive 10-year plan for these buildings, which must be reviewed and approved by the City Council every five years. This plan will use specific data, such as crime rates, call volumes, and neighborhood growth, to decide which facilities need repairs or upgrades first. Additionally, the law mandates that the Mayor submit a revised plan within 180 days if the Council rejects the initial proposal.

The Smoke Detector Safety Amendment Act of 2025 prohibits the sale or installation of solely battery-operated smoke detectors that are not tamper-resistant in Washington, D.C., effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects retailers, installers, and manufacturers selling or installing these devices within the District. The bill defines "tamper-resistant" as detectors where batteries cannot be manually removed, replaced, or disabled by consumers. Violations may result in civil fines up to $500, and residents can file written complaints with the Mayor alleging non-compliance.

The "Clemency Board Waiver Authority Amendment Act of 2025" would allow the District of Columbia's Clemency Board to grant waivers of the five-year waiting period required for pardon applicants. Currently, applicants must wait five years after release from confinement or five years after conviction (if no prison sentence was imposed) before applying for a pardon, but the federal Department of Justice can grant waivers of this requirement. This bill would enable the Board to grant similar waivers when the Office of the Pardon Attorney has already provided a waiver to the applicant, though the Board could decline to grant a waiver even with federal approval. The Board would not be permitted to grant waivers to individuals on probation, parole, or supervised release, and would need to provide written notice of their waiver decision.

This bill ensures couples can obtain marriage licenses in Washington, D.C., during federal government shutdowns. It authorizes the Mayor to temporarily issue marriage licenses and manage related duties when the Superior Court (which normally handles licenses) cannot operate due to a shutdown. The Mayor would use modified forms and maintain records during these periods, while the Court resumes full responsibility afterward. This directly affects engaged couples, families, and wedding officiants who previously faced uncertainty during shutdowns, which have occurred frequently in recent years.

This bill updates existing safety laws to include two new sports venues, the Downtown Arena and the Southeast Arena, in regulations that currently apply to other stadiums in the District of Columbia. The primary change prohibits unauthorized individuals from entering the playing surfaces of these arenas unless they have explicit permission from the venue operators. By adding these locations to the legal definition of regulated areas, the measure ensures consistent safety standards across all major sports facilities in the city.