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

B26-0388 • 2025

Office of District Waterways Management Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Office of District Waterways Management Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Elections
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2025-10-23
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about allowing more time for stakeholder engagement or giving the commission authority to determine if an update to the Advisory Plan is necessary.

Emergency Amendment to Office of District Waterways Management

This act amends the process for appointing members of the District Waterways Advisory Commission and adjusts their meeting schedule.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes how members of the District Waterways Advisory Commission are appointed by the Mayor.
  • Adds the Department of Parks and Recreation as a non-voting member of the commission.
  • Adjusts the meeting schedule for the commission to every two months instead of monthly.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Mayor and other officials involved in appointing members of the District Waterways Advisory Commission.
  • Members of the District Waterways Advisory Commission.
  • Stakeholders who engage with the commission during the development of the Advisory Plan.

Terms To Know

District Waterways Advisory Commission
A group that advises on waterway management in the District of Columbia.
Advisory Plan
A plan developed by the commission to guide waterway management practices.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is effective for no longer than 90 days after approval.
  • It does not specify how long the changes will remain in effect beyond this initial period.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0173, Expires on Jan 21, 2026

  2. 2025-10-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2025-10-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Oct 29, 2025

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

    B26-0388 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

  5. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

Official Summary Text

Office of District Waterways Management Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT

ACT 26-173
INTHE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA.
OCTOBER 23, 2025
Toamend,onanemergencybasis,theOfficeofDistrictWaterwaysManagementEstablishmentActof2022tomaketheprocessforMayoralappointmentofmembersoftheDistrictWaterwaysAdvisoryCommissionconsistentwiththatofsimilarcommissions,toaddthe
DepartmentofParksandRecreationasanex-officionon-votingmemberoftheDistrict
WaterwaysAdvisoryCommission,toadjusttheDistrictWaterwaysAdvisoryCommissionmeetingschedule,toallowsufficienttimeforengagementwithstakeholders
andtheDistrictWaterwaysAdvisoryCommissionindevelopmentoftheAdvisoryPlan,andtoprovidetheDistrictWaterwaysAdvisoryCommissionwithauthoritytodeterminewhethertheAdvisoryPlanneedstobeupdatedandextendtheupdateperiodtoatleastevery3years:andtoamendtheConfirmationActof1978tomakeaconformingamendment.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“OfficeofDistrictWaterwaysManagementEstablishmentEmergencyAmendment Act of 2025”.
Sec.2.TheOfficeofDistrictWaterwaysManagementEstablishmentActof2022,effectiveMarch22,2023(D.C.Law24-336:D.C,OfficialCode§8-191.01etseq.)isamended
asfollows:
(a)Section3(D.C.OfficialCode§8-191.02)isamendedasfollows:
(1)Subsection(b)(1)(A)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“section2(e)oftheConfirmationActof1978,effectiveMarch3,1979(D.C.Law2-141;D.C.OfficialCode§1-523.01(€)),”andinsertingthephrase“section2(f)oftheConfirmationActof1978,effectiveMarch3,1979(D.C.Law2-141;D.C.OfficialCode§1-523.01(f)),”initsplace,
(2)Subsection(c)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Paragraph(9)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”insertingasemicoloninitsplace.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
(B)Paragraph(10)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingtheind”initsplace.
(C)A newparagraph(11)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(11)TheDepartmentofParksandRecreation.”.
(3)Subsection(f)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“onceeverymonth”andinsertingthephrase“onceevery2months”initsplace.
(b)Section4(D.C.OfficialCode§8-191.03)isamendedasfollows:
(1)Thelead-inlanguageofsubsection(a)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Strikethephrase“oneyear”andinsertthephrase“2years”inits

place
(B)Strikethephrase“developandadopt”andinserttheword“develop”initsplace.
(2)Subsection(b)(2)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“Atleast60dayspriorto
adoptionofanAdvisoryPlan,the”andinsertingtheword“The”initsplace.
(3)Subsections(c)and(d)areamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(c)Afterconclusionofthepubliccommentperiod,andwithin60daysaftercompletingrevisions,ifany,thevotingmembersoftheCommissionshalladopttheAdvisoryPlan.Thereupon,theAdvisoryPlanshallbesubmittedtotheOfficeofWaterwaysManagementforpublication.
“(d)IfconsiderednecessarybytheCommission,theAdvisoryPlanshallbeupdatedatleastonceevery3years,followingthesameprocessrequiredfortheinitialAdvisoryPlan
pursuanttosubsections(b)and(¢)ofthissection.”.
Sec.3.Section2(1)oftheConfirmationActof1978,effectiveMarch3,1979(D.C.Law
2-141;D.C.OfficialCode§1-523.01(f).isamendedasfollows:
(a)Paragraph(72)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”andinsertingasemicolonin
itsplace.
(b)Paragraph(73)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthephrase“;and”in
itsplace.
(c)A newparagraph(74)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(74)TheOfficeofDistrictWaterwaysManagement,establishedbysection2(a)
oftheOfficeofDistrictWaterwaysManagementEstablishmentActof2022,effectiveMarch22,
2023(D.C.Law24-336;D.C.OfficialCode§8-191.01(a));and”.

Sec.4.Applicability.
ThisactshallapplyasofOctober18,2025.
2

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Sec.5.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementof theBudget Directoras thefiscalimpact
statementrequiredby section4a of theGeneralLegislativeProceduresAct of 1975,approved
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.6.Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan,90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection
412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
airman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

Mayor|RisviebvaneOCTOBER 23, 2025

[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[DxTacTION
VOTEDATE
[X1VOICEVOTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE-Result
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FinalReading
October7,2025
Approved

CounciMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec[CouncMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec|CouncilMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec
CaimanMendelson]x Henderson|x Pinto
‘Allen x LewisGeorge|x R.White
Bones x McDuff x White
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X -IndicateVote AB -Absent NV - Present,NotVoting Rec -Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
[oF - nwSecretaryotheCounc Date