KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to District of Columbia

B26-0319 • 2025

Long Bridge Project Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Long Bridge Project Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2025-08-08
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Long Bridge Project Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This act allows the Mayor to issue permits for removing Heritage Trees near or within the Long Bridge Project site under specific conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends a part of the Urban Forest Preservation Act to add new rules about removing Heritage Trees.
  • Requires the Mayor to give permission if someone wants to remove a Heritage Tree that is close to or inside the Long Bridge Project area.
  • Sets out four main reasons why a permit might be given for tree removal: no other design option, tree can't be protected in place, relocation costs too much, and public burden would be high.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Mayor of Washington D.C.
  • People or companies working on the Long Bridge Project
  • Heritage Trees near the project site

Terms To Know

Heritage Tree
A special tree that is protected because it has historical, cultural, or ecological importance.
Long Bridge Project
A project managed by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to build a new bridge in Washington D.C.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is only valid for up to 90 days after approval.
  • It does not specify what happens if the conditions are not met or how much money must be paid per inch of tree circumference.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0126 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008605, Expires on Oct 30, 2025

  2. 2025-08-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0126, Expires on Oct 30, 2025

  3. 2025-08-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2025-07-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Aug 11, 2025

  5. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0319 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Long Bridge Project Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT

.C.ACT 26-126
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
AUGUST 1, 2025
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,section104aoftheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002torequirethattheMayorissueapermitfortheremovalofa HeritageTreeabuttingorwithinthesiteoftheLongBridgeProjectundercertainconditions.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“LongBridgeProjectEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section104a(b)oftheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002,effectiveJuly1,2016(D.C,Law21-133;D.C,OfficialCode§8-651.04a(b)),isamendedbyaddinganew
paragraph(3)toreadasfollows:“(3)TheMayorshallissueaHeritageTreeremovalpermitunderthissectionforaHeritageTreethatabutsoriswithinthesiteoftheLongBridgeProjectmanagedbytheVirginiaPassengerRailAuthorityif:
“(A)ThereisnoreasonabledesignalternativethatcanavoidthelocationoftheHeritageTree;“(B)TheUrbanForestryDivisionhasdeterminedthatthetreecannotreasonablybeprotectedinplace;
“(C)Theapplicanthasdemonstratedthat:“(i)Thecostofrelocationexceeds$1million;or“Gii)Relocationwouldcauseanundueburdentothepublic;and“(D)Theapplicanthasagreedtopay$1,200pereachinchofthecircumferenceoftheHeritageTreeinquestion.”.
See.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;
D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-204.12(a)).
‘harman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

APPROVEDAUGUST 1, 2025
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XTACTION FinalReading
[x]VOTEDATE uly44,2025
[x]VOICEVOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE-Resut
inciMembe! et Aye|Nay[NV|AB|Reo
ChalmanMendelson) x
x x
x
x
x

CERTIFICATIONRECORD

‘SecretarytotheCounell Date