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B26-0303 • 2025

Residential Tranquility Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Residential Tranquility Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Labor Land
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2025-07-25
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the law expires no later than 90 days after approval, but does not specify an exact calendar expiration date beyond that limit.

Residential Tranquility Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This emergency law makes it illegal to use loudspeakers near homes at night, leave unattended speakers targeting homes, or throw objects onto residential property with the intent to scare people.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits using sound amplifying devices for demonstrations between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. in residential zones when targeting a residence.
  • Bans leaving unattended sound amplifying devices that emit sound while targeting a residence.
  • Makes it illegal to continue or resume these actions after being told by law enforcement to stop.
  • Allows the Mayor and Metropolitan Police Department to seize and impound unattended sound amplifying devices used in violation of this law.
  • Prohibits knowingly launching or throwing objects onto another person's residential property with intent to cause fear, intimidate, or harass residents.
  • Sets a specific term expiration date for Council appointments to the Corrections Information Council.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who use sound amplifying devices near homes in Washington, D.C. residential zones.
  • Residents and workers living at targeted residences.
  • The Metropolitan Police Department regarding seizure of equipment.
  • Council members appointed to the Corrections Information Council.

Terms To Know

Sound amplifying device
Any machine, device, or loudspeaker that makes sound louder. This does not include car audio systems heard only by people inside the vehicle.
Residential Zone
Areas defined in D.C. zoning regulations as places for homes, including Residential Zones, Residential Flat Zones, and Residential Apartment Zones.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law is an emergency act that remains in effect for no longer than 90 days after approval.
  • The specific fine amounts depend on a separate Criminal Fine Proportionality Amendment Act of 2012 and are not listed directly in this text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-07-25 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0119 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008178, Expires on Oct 19, 2025

  2. 2025-07-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2025-07-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0119, Expires on Oct 19, 2025

  4. 2025-07-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 24, 2025

  5. 2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-06-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0303 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Residential Tranquility Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT

.C.ACT 26-119
INTHE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
JULY 21, 2025
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,theResidentialTranquilityActof2010toprohibitpersonstargetingaresidenceforpurposesofdemonstrationfromusingsoundamplifyingdevicesinaresidentialzonebetween7:00p.m.and9:00a.m.,toprohibittheuseofunattended
soundamplifyingdevicesemittingsoundwhiletargetingaresidence,andtoprohibitapersonfromlaunchingorthrowinganobjectontotheresidentialpropertyofanotherwiththeintenttocausefearto,intimidate,orharassanypersonlivingorworkingatthatresidence;and to amend theNationalCapitalRevitaliz: and Self-Government
ImprovementActof1997toprovidethatthetermexpirationdateforaCouncilappointmenttotheCorrectionsInformationCouncilshallbeDecember7thoftheyearinwhichthetermexpires.

BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“ResidentialTranquilityEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec,2.TheResidentialTranquilityActof2010,effectiveMay26,2011(D.C.Law18-374;D.C.OfficialCode§22-2751etseq.),isamendedasfollows:{a)Section2(D.C.OfficialCode§22-2751)isamendedasfollows:(1)Paragraph(1)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“,forthepurposeofpersuadingoneormoreindividuals,orthepublic,o toprotestsomeaction,attitude,orbelief.”andinsertingaperiodinitsplace.(2)Paragraph(3)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“humanbeings”andinsertingtheword“individuals”initsplace.(3)A newparagraph(4)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(@“Soundamplifyingdevice”meansanymachine,device,orloudspeakerthatamplifiessoundofthehumanvoice,music,oranyothersound,Theterm“soundamplifyingdevice”shallnotincludeautomobileaudiosystemswhenusedandheardonlybytheoccupantsofthevehicleinwhichtheautomobileaudiosystemisinstalled.”.(b)Section3(D.C.OfficialCode§22-2752)isamendedbyaddingnewsubsections(a-1),(@-2),(@-3),and(a-4)toreadasfollows:

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(a-1)Itisunlawfillforapersontotargetaresidenceforpurposesofademonstrationby
usingasoundamplifyingdevicebetween7:00p.m.and9:00a.m.wherethetargetedresidenceis,infact,locatedinaResidentialZone,ResidentialFlatZone,orResidentialApartmentZone,asthosetermsandZonesaredefinedatthetimeoftheoftheconductgivingrisetotheviolationintheDistrictofColumbiaZoningRegulations.“(a-2)Itisunlawfultoleaveanunattendedsoundamplifyingdeviceemittingsoundtotargetaresidenceforpurposesofademonstrationwherethetargetedresidenceis,infact,locatedinaResidentialZone,ResidentialFlatZone,orResidentialApartmentZone,asthosetermsandZonesaredefinedatthetimeoftheoftheconductgivingrisetotheviolationintheDistrictofColumbiaZoningRegulations.
“(@-3)Itisunlawfultocontinueorresumetargetingaresidenceinviolationofsubsections(a-1)or (a-2)ofthis sectionafterbeing instructedby a law enforcement officerto
ceasetargetingaresidenceinviolationofthislaw.“(a-4)TheMayorandMetropolitanPoliceDepartmentmayseizeandimpoundanyunattendedsoundamplifyingdevicestargetingaresidenceforpurposesofademonstrationinviolationofsubsection(a-2)ofthissection.”.
(c)A newsection3aisaddedtoreadasfollows:“Sec.3a.Throwingobjectsatresidentialproperty.
(a)Itisunlawfulforanypersontoknowinglylaunchorthrowanobjectontotheresidentialpropertyofanotherwiththeintenttocausefearto,intimidate,orharassanyperson
livingorworkingatthatresidence.
“(b)A personwhoviolatesthissection,uponconviction,shallbefinednomorethantheamountsetforthinsection101oftheCriminalFineProportionalityAmendmentActof2012,effectiveJune11,2013(D.C.Law19-317;D.C.OfficialCode§22-3571.01),orincarceratedfor
nomorethan90days,orboth.”.

Sec.3.Section11201a(b)(2)oftheNationalCapitalRevitalizationandSelf-GovernmentImprovementActof1997,effectiveOctober2,2010(D.C.Law18-233;D.C.OfficialCode§24-101.01(b)(2)),isamendedbyaddinganewsubparagraph(B-1)toreadasfollows:
“(B-1)Notwithstandinganyotherprovisionoflaw,thetermexpirationdateforaCouncilappointmenttotheCorrectionsInformationCouncilshallbeDecember7thoftheyearinwhichthetermexpires.”.
Sec.4.TheResidentialTranquilityTemporaryAmendmentActof2024,effectiveApril
18,2025(D.C.Law25-323;71DCR 14480),isrepealed.
Sec.5.Fiscalimpactstatement.‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.6.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a) of the Districtof Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat.788;
D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
airman
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia
Mayor
Districtof Columbia
APPROVED
JULY 21, 2025

[ ]ITEM ON CONSENT CALENDAR
[X]ACTION
[LX]VOTE DATE
[x]voIcevote
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[] ROLL CALL VOTE - Result
COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FinalReading
ly 1,2025
Approved
Nadeau,andParker
Felder

ES a ‘Council

CouncilMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec||CounciMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[RecCounciMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec
ChairmanMendel Henderson x Pinto
Allen LewisGeorge| x R.White
Bonds McDuffie x
Felder x Nadeau
Frumin x Parker
X-IndicateVote ‘AB~Absent NV-Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD = eS: ae