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B26-0059 • 2025

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025

Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Mendelson
Last action
2026-05-21
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text cites the act title as 'Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2026', while the candidate explanation used '2025'. The summary has been updated to match the enacted law's year.

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2026

This law changes the rules for protecting large trees in Washington, D.C., by lowering the size limit for special protection and requiring regular updates to fines based on inflation.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of a Special Tree from having a trunk between 44 inches wide to one that is at least 40 inches wide.
  • Requires the Mayor to increase fees and fines for removing protected trees every three years starting in July 2029 to match inflation using the Consumer Price Index.
  • Allows the Mayor to raise these fees or fines by more than the required amount if needed.
  • Updates how money from the Tree Fund can be used, including adding support for residents who need help with hazardous tree removal costs based on their income.
  • Makes private donations to the Tree Fund tax-deductible for District taxes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Mayor of Washington, D.C., who must set new fee and fine amounts by regulation.
  • Property owners in the District whose trees meet the new size requirements for protection.
  • District residents who may receive financial help to remove dangerous trees from their property based on income.
  • Organizations or individuals donating money to the Tree Fund.

Terms To Know

Special Tree
A tree with a trunk diameter of at least 40 inches that receives extra legal protection under this law.
Tree Fund
A special account managed by the District Department of Transportation to hold money for planting trees and related costs.
Consumer Price Index
A measure used to track changes in prices over time, which determines how much fines increase each year.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify the exact dollar amounts for future fees or fines until the Mayor sets them by regulation.
  • It is unclear exactly what income levels qualify residents for subsidies to remove hazardous trees, as this detail is left for later rules.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law Number L26-0113 Effective from May 21, 2026

  2. 2026-04-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2026-03-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0283 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 005086

  4. 2026-03-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Enacted without Mayor's Signature with Act Number A26-0283

  5. 2026-03-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  6. 2026-03-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Mar 24, 2026

  7. 2026-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  9. 2025-12-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0059 by the Transportation and the Environment Committee

  10. 2025-01-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0059 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  11. 2025-01-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Transportation and the Environment

  12. 2025-01-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0059 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-283
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARCH 24,2026
‘ToamendtheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002tomodifythedefinitionofaSpecialTree,
torequirethattheMayorincreasethefinesandfeesassociatedwiththeremovalof
SpecialTreesorHeritageTreesforinflation,andtomodifythepermissibleusesofthe
TreeFund.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Thatthis
actmay be citedasthe“TreePreservationEnhancement Amendment Act of2026”.
Sec.2.TheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002,effectiveJune12,2003(D.C.Law
14-309;D.C. OfficialCode § 8-651.01 efseg.),isamended as follows:
(a)Section102(5)(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.02(5))isamendedbystrikingthephrase
“between44inches”andinsertingthephrase“between40inches”initsplace.
(b)Section104(c)(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.04(e))isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(@)(1)TheMayorshall,beginningJuly1,2029,andevery3yearsthereafter,increase
thefeedescribedinsubsection(b)(3)ofthissectionandthefinedescribedinsubsection(4)of
thissectionbyregulationtoadjustforinflationusingtheConsumerPriceIndex.
2)Inadditiontotheincreasesunderparagraph(1)ofthissubsection,theMayor
mayincreasethefeedescribedinsubsection(b)(3)ofthissectionorthefinedescribedin
subsection(d)ofthissectionbyregulation.”.(©)Section104a(d)(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.04a(d))isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(@)(1)TheMayorshall,beginningJuly1,2029,andevery3yearsthereafter,increase
thefinedescribedinsubsection(c)ofthissectionbyregulationtoadjustforinflationusingthe
Consumer PriceIndex.
(2)Inadditiontotheincreaseunderparagraph(1)ofthissubsection,theMayormayincreasethefeedescribedinsubsection(c)ofthissectionbyregulation.”.(d)Section107(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.07)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“Sec, 107.Tree Fund.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(a)ThereisestablishedasaspecialfundtheTreeFund(“Fund”),whichshallbe
administeredbytheDistrictDepartmentofTransportationinaccordancewithsubsection(¢)of
thissection.(b)AllfundscollectedfromthefollowingsourcesshallbedepositedintotheFund:
“(1)Donations;and
(2)Feesandpenaltiescollectedpursuanttothisactoranyruleestablished
pursuanttothisact.
“(c)MoneyintheFund:“(1)Shallbeusedforthefollowingpurposes:
“(A)TreeplantinginpublicspaceorDistrict-ownedland,includingparks
andschoolproperty;and“(B)Providingincome-basedsubsidiestoassistDistrictresidentswith
costsrelatedtotheremovalandreplacementofhazardoustrees;and
“(2)Maybeusedforthefollowingpurposes:
“(A)Treeplantingonprivateland,incoordinationwiththeDepartmentof
EnergyandEnvironment;“(B)Conductingsurvivalchecksoftreesplantedonpublicorprivateland
pursuanttoparagraph(1)(A)ofthissubsectionandsubparagraph(A)ofthisparagraph;and
“(C)Foranyothercostsassociatedwithimplementingthisact,including
administrativecosts.
“(d)TheMayorshallensurethattreesplantedpursuanttothissectionarecheckedfor
survivalatappropriateintervalstoevaluatecanopyreplacementandinformfutureplanting
decisions.
“(e)PrivatevoluntarydonationstotheFundshallbetaxdeductibleforpurposesof
Districtincomeandfranchisetaxes.
“()\(1)ThemoneydepositedintotheFundbutnotexpendedinafiscalyearshallnot
reverttotheunassignedfundbalanceoftheGeneralFundoftheDistrictofColumbiaattheend
ofafiscalyear,oratanyothertime.
(2)Subjecttoauthorizationinanapprovedbudgetandfinancialplan,anyfunds
appropriatedintheFundshallbecontinuallyavailablewithoutregardtofiscalyearlimitation.”
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscal
impactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,
approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.‘ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreview
asprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember
24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-206.02(¢)(1)).

‘Chairman
Councilofthe DistrictofColumbia
UNSIGNED
Mayor
Risksboomed
COUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0059,
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February3,2026
Approved

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