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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

The official metadata lists an expiration date of August 26, 2025, but the enacted law text states emergency acts remain in effect for no longer than 90 days. The specific date may depend on when the Mayor approved it or other procedural factors not detailed in the provided excerpt.

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This law allows the District of Columbia Clemency Board to waive a five-year waiting period for pardon applicants if they receive written notice that federal officials have already waived this requirement.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends Section 205 of the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018 by adding new rules about waivers.
  • Allows the Clemency Board to grant a waiver for the five-year waiting period required before applying for a pardon upon written request from an applicant.
  • Requires that the Board only grants this waiver if it receives notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney stating that the Pardon Attorney or President has waived the federal five-year requirement.
  • Allows the Clemency Board to deny a waiver even if they receive the required notice from federal officials.
  • Prohibits the Board from granting a waiver if the applicant is currently on probation, parole, or supervised release.
  • Requires the Board to provide written notice of its decision to grant or deny a waiver request.
  • Defers an applicant's pardon application until the Board makes a determination on their waiver request.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People in Washington, D.C., who are applying for a pardon and seek to skip the five-year waiting period.
  • The District of Columbia Clemency Board members who review these requests.
  • The Office of the Pardon Attorney within the U.S. Department of Justice.

Terms To Know

Clemency Board
A group in Washington, D.C., that reviews applications for pardons and commutations.
Waiver
An official permission to ignore a specific rule or requirement.
Pardon Attorney
A federal lawyer who reviews pardon requests for the U.S. Department of Justice and President.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law is an emergency act that remains in effect for no longer than 90 days after approval.
  • The Clemency Board cannot grant a waiver if the applicant is currently under court supervision like probation, parole, or supervised release.

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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