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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-298
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
APRIL 22, 2026
ToamendChapter41ofTitle28oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodetoamenddefinitionsofexistingterms,toallowforalternativecalculationofnormalretailpricesforrentalvehiclesandhotelroomsbasedonaseasonalpricingmodel,toprohibitstockpilingofcertaingoodsfollowinganaturaldisasterordeclarationofa publicemergency,tomakethedeclarationofapublicemergencyatriggeringeventfortheprohibitionagainstpricegouging,andtoprovideforremediesiftheSuperiorCourtoftheDistrictofColumbia
findsapersonhasengagedinpricegougingorstockpilinginacivilactionbroughtbytheOfficeoftheAttorneyGeneralfortheDistrictofColumbia,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“SeasonalPricingand PriceGouging Amendment Act of 2026”.
Sec.2.Chapter41ofTitle28oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodeisamendedas
follows:(a)Thetableofcontentsisamendedbyaddinganewsectiondesignationtoreadas
follows:“28-4102.01.Stockpiling,”.(b)Section28-4101isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“§28-4101.Definitions.“Forthepurposesofthischapter,theterm:(1)“Goodsandservices”shallinclude:“(A)Consumergoodsandservicesused,bought,orrenderedprimarilyfor
personal,family,orhouseholdpurposes;“(B)Essentialmedicalsuppliesandservicesusedforthecare,cure,
mitigation,treatment,orpreventionofanyillnessesordiseases;and“(C)Anyotheressentialgoodsandservicesusedtopromotethehealthor
welfareofthepublic.“(2)“Naturaldisaster”meanstheactualorimminentconsequenceofanydisaster,
catastrophe,oremergency,includingfire(otherthanafirecausedbyhumanerrororarson),
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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
flood,earthquake,storm,orotherseriousactofnature,whichthreatensthehealth,safety,orwelfareofpersonsorcauseswidespreaddamagetopropertyintheDistrictofColumbia.“()(A)“Normalretailprice”meansnotmorethan10%morethanthepriceatwhichthesameorsimilargoodsandservicesweresoldintheDistrictofColumbiaduringthe
90-dayperiodthatimmediatelyprecededanaturaldisaster,ifanemergencyisdeclaredpursuantto§28-4102(b),orthecircumstancesgivingrisetoapublicemergency,ifapublicemergencyis
declaredpursuantto§7-2304.“(B)Notwithstandingsubparagraph(A)ofthisparagraph,forcalendar
year2027andthereafter,“normalretailprice”means:“@)Forarentalvehicle,notmorethan10%morethanthepriceat
whichapersonchargedforthesameorasimilarrentalvehicleduringthesameweekofthesame
monthsoftheprioryear.Forpurposesofthissub-subparagraph,theterm“rentalvehicle”shallhavethesamemeaningassetforthin§50-1505.01(8);and“(ii)Forahotelroominahotelthatisatleast95%occupied,not
morethan10%morethanthepriceatwhichapersonchargedforthesameorasimilarroomduringthesameweekofthesamemonthofthemostrecentyearforwhichtherewasanaverage
hotelroomoccupancyof95%.Forpurposesofthissub-subparagraph,theterm“hotelroom”meansanyroomorsuiteofroomsatafacilityaffordingsleepingaccommodationstotransient
guests.
“(C)Notwithstandingsubparagraphs(A)and(B)ofthisparagraph,ifa
persondidnotsellgoodsandservicesintheDistrietofColumbiaduringthe90-dayperiodthatprecededanaturaldisaster,ifanemergencyisdeclaredpursuantto§28-4102(b),orthecircumstancesgivingrisetoapublicemergency,ifapublicemergencyisdeclaredpursuantto§7-2304,thatpersonmaynotchargeapricethatismorethan50percentgreaterthantheactual
pricethepersonpaidtothemanufacturerordistributorforthegoodorservice.“(4)“Person”meansacorporation,firm,agency,company,association,
organization,partnership,society,jointstockcompany,oranindividual.“(5)“Publicemergency”shallhavethesamemeaningassetforthin§7-
23013).”.(©)Section28-4102isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“§28-4102.Overcharging.“(a)Exceptasprovidedinsubsection(a-1)ofthissection,itshallbeunlawfulforany
persontochargemorethanthatperson’snormalretailpriceforanygoodsorservicessoldduringanemergencyresultingfromanaturaldisasterdeclaredpursuanttosubsection(b)ofthissection,
orduringapublicemergencydeclaredpursuantto§7-2304.“(a-1)A personmaychargemorethanthenormalretailpriceforanygoodsorservices
soldduringanemergencyresultingfromanaturaldisasterdeclaredpursuanttosubsection(b)ofthissection,orduringapublicemergencydeclaredpursuantto§7-2304,if:“(1)Thepriceincreaseisdirectlyattributabletoadditionalcostsimposedonthe
personbythesupplierofgoods;or
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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(2)Thepriceincreaseisdirectlyattributabletoadditionalcostsforlaborormaterialsusedtoprovidetheserviceorproducethegoods.“(b)(1)Within48hoursofa naturaldisaster,theMayormaydeclare,fornotmorethan30calendardays,astateofemergencyforthepurposesofthischapter.TheMayorshallprepare
anemergencydeclarationthatshallincludeadescriptionoftheexistence,nature,extent,anddurationoftheemergency.“(2)Upontheissuanceofadeclarationofanemergencyorassoonaspracticablegiventhenatureoftheemergency,theMayorshallpublishacopyoftheemergencydeclaration
intheDistrictofColumbiaRegisterandin2dailynewspapersofgeneralcirculation.”(d)A newsection28-4102.01isaddedtoreadasfollows:“§28-4102.01.Stockpiling.“TtshallbeunlawfulforanypersontopurchasegoodsinquantitiesgreaterthanthosespecifiedbytheMayororthefederalgovernmentduringapublicemergencydeclaredpursuant
to§7-2304,orduringanemergencyresultingfromanaturaldisasterdeclaredpursuantto§28-4102(b),iftheMayororthefederalgovernmenthavedeclaredsaidgoodstobe:“(1)Necessaryforfirstrespondersorothersduringanaturaldisasterorpublic
emergency;“(2)Necessarytomaintainsupplychainsofcommerceduringanaturaldisasteror
apublicemergency;or“(3)Subjecttogovernment-orderedrationing,”.
(@)Section28-4103isamendedtoreadasfollows:“§28-4103,Penalties.“(a)(1)A violationof§ 28-4102(a)or§28-4102.01shallbeacivilinfractionfor
purposesofChapter18ofTitle2.(2)Foreachviolationof§ 28-4102(a)or§28-4102.01,civilfines,penalties,and
feesinanamountnotmorethan$1,000maybeimposedbytheMayor,pursuanttoChapter18
ofTitle2. (3)Adjudicationofanyinfractionunderthissubsectionshallbepursuantto
Chapter18ofTitle2.“(b)Inadditiontoanymonetarypenaltyimposedundersubsection(a)thissection:“(1)TheMayormayrevoke,suspend,orlimitthelicense,permit,orcertificateof
occupancyofa personwhoviolates§28-4102(a)or§28-4102.01;and“(2)(A)TheAttorneyGeneralfortheDistrictofColumbiamaybringanactionintheSuperiorCourtoftheDistrictofColumbiatoenjoinviolationsof§ 28-4102(a)or§28-4102.01andtorequiretheviolatortotakeaffirmativeaction,includingtherestitutionofmoney
orproperty.Inanyactionunderthissection,theAttorneyGeneralshallnotberequiredtoprovedamagesandtheinjunctionshallbeissuedwithoutbond.“(B)Inactionbroughtpursuanttosubparagraph(A)ofthisparagraph,the
AttorneyGeneralfortheDistrictofColumbiamayrecover:“@ A civilpenaltyof$1,000to$10,000foreachviolation;
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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(ii)Economicdamages;and(iii)Thecostsoftheactionandreasonableattorneys”fees.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,
approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a)..
Sec.4.Effectivedate,ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(e)(1)).
. ase
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia
Mayor
Districtof Columbia
APPROVEDAPRIL 22, 2026
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
[XX]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
[XTACTION FirstReading,CC
[VOTE DATE February3,2026
[X]VOICEVOTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT Pinto
{]ROLLCALLVOTE~Result
aoe a paar
Satie |tee
DocketNo.26-0049
[X]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
[X]ACTION FinalReading,CC
[X]VOTEDATE March31,2026
[x1VoIcevoTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
{]ROLLCALLVOTE~Result
‘CouncilMember [Aye[Nay[NV[AB.|Ree|CounciiMember.Aye|Nay|NV[AB| Rec|CounciiMember|Aye|Nay|NV.|AB_|Rec
ChairmanMendlson|X Feumin x Pinto
Allon x Hendersonx R.White
Bonds x LewisGeorge_| x T.White
Grawford x Nadeau x
Felder x Parker x
X-IndicateVote “AB-Absont NV:Prosent,NotVoting og
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
4-72-26
‘SeeretiyfothaCouncl