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B26-0241 • 2025

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2025-06-06
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Emergency Amendment to Allow Clemency Board Waiver Authority

This act amends the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018 to allow the Clemency Board to grant a waiver for applicants seeking a pardon, bypassing the usual five-year waiting period.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends section 205 of the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018 to add new subsection (f).
  • Allows the Clemency Board to waive the requirement that an applicant wait five years before applying for a pardon, upon written request from the applicant.
  • Requires the Clemency Board to consider notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney or the President regarding waiver of the five-year requirement.
  • Gives the Clemency Board discretion to deny a waiver even if they receive such notice.
  • Specifies that applicants on probation, parole, or supervised release cannot have their waiting period waived.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Clemency Board in Washington D.C.
  • Applicants seeking pardons from the Clemency Board
  • Office of the Pardon Attorney and the President

Terms To Know

Clemency Board
A board that reviews applications for pardons in Washington D.C.
Waiver
An official permission to be exempt from a rule or requirement

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act expires on August 26, 2025.
  • It is only in effect for up to 90 days after approval by the Mayor.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0078 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 006461, Expires on Aug 26, 2025

  2. 2025-05-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2025-05-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0078, Expires on Aug 26, 2025

  4. 2025-05-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on May 30, 2025

  5. 2025-05-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-05-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-05-05 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0241 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
ANACT

.C.ACT 26-78
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MAY 28, 2025
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,duetocongressionalreview,section205oftheClemencyBoardEstablishmentActof2018toauthorizetheClemencyBoardto,forapplicantsseekingapardon,granta waiverofthe5-yearwaitingperiod.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“ClemencyBoardWaiverAuthorityCongressionalReviewEmergencyAmendment Act of 2025”.
Sec.2. Section205 of theClemency Board EstablishmentAct of 2018, effective
December13,2018(D.C.Law22-197;D.C.OfficialCode§24-481.05),isamendedbyaddinganewsubsection(f)toreadasfollows:“(f)TheBoardmay,uponwrittenrequestoftheapplicant,grantawaiveroftherequirementsofsubsection(c)(1)ofthissection;provided,th:“(1)TheBoardshallonlygrantawaiverunderthissubsectionwheretheBoardisinreceiptofnoticefromtheOfficeofthePardonAttorneythatthePardonAttorneyorthePresidentoftheUnitedStateshasprovidedtheapplicantwithawaiverofthe5-yearrequirementpursuantto § 9-140.112 of the DepartmentofJustice Manual;
“(2)TheBoardmaydeclinetograntawaiverunderthissubsectionevenwhentheBoardisinreceiptofthenoticedescribedinparagraph(1)ofthissubsection;“(3)TheBoardshallnotgrantawaiverunderthissubsectionwhentheapplicantisonprobation,parole,orsupervisedrelease;“(4)TheBoardmayrequestadditionalinformationfromtheapplicanttosupporttheirrequestfora waiverofsubsection(c)(1)ofthissection,whichmayincludearequestto
meet with the applicanttodiscusstheirwaiver request;
“\(5)TheBoardshallprovidetheapplicantwithwrittennoticeoftheBoard’sdecisiontograntordenyawaiverrequestpursuanttothissubsection;and

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(6)PriortotheBoardmakingadeterminationwhethertograntarequestforawaiverpursuanttothissubsection,theapplicant’sapplicationshallbedeferreduntila
determinationismade.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;
D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
ppl —fhairmanCouncilof the Districtof Columbia

DistrichofColumbia
APPROVED
MAY 28, 2025

[C]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
COUNCILOF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DXACTION FinalReading,CC
[VOTEDATE May6,2025
[X]VOICEVOTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE~Resutt
CouncilMemberAye[NayNV [AB[Rec|CouncitMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB|Rec|CouncitMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec
ChairmanMendelson| Henderson x Pinto
Allen x LewisGeorge| X R.White
Bonds x McDuffie x
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Patker x
X- IndicateVote AB ~Absent NV--Present,NotVoting Rec -Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD

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