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B26-0520 • 2025

Sensible Pool Building Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Sensible Pool Building Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Energy
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
T. White
Last action
2025-12-02
Official status
Under Council Review
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify that the act is only active for up to 90 days; it states that the act remains in effect for no longer than 90 days.

Sensible Pool Building Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This act temporarily changes the Green Building Act to allow certain pools built by the District government in Ward 8 to not meet net zero energy requirements but must still follow LEED Silver standards.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes part of the Green Building Act so that new swimming pools (natatoriums) built by the District government in Ward 8 do not have to follow net zero energy requirements.
  • Requires these same natatoriums to be built using at least LEED Silver standards, which are specific green building guidelines.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The District government when it builds new swimming pools in Ward 8.
  • Construction companies working on these projects.

Terms To Know

natatorium
A building or room designed for indoor swimming, such as a pool.
LEED Silver standards
A set of guidelines that help make buildings more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act only applies to natatoriums built by the District government in Ward 8.
  • The changes are temporary, lasting no longer than 90 days.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  2. 2025-12-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  3. 2025-12-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0520 Introduced by Councilmember T. White at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Sensible Pool Building Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
1

______________________________
Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.

A BILL
_______________
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
_______________
To amend, on an emergency basis, the Green Building Act of 2006 to exempt natatoriums built 1
by the District in Ward 8 from being required to maintain net zero energy compliance 2
standards and to require that Ward 8 natatoriums be built to at least LEED Silver 3
standards 4
5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 6
act may be cited as the “Sensible Pool Building Emergency Amendment Act of 2025”. 7
Sec. 2. Section 11 of the Green Building Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-8
234; D.C. Official Code § 6-1451.10) is amended by adding new subsections (a-1) and (a-2) as 9
follows: 10
“(a-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, a District government project in 11
Ward 8 that includes the construction of a natatorium shall be exempted from the requirements to 12
maintain net zero energy compliance, as that term is defined in section 2(a)(3) of the Clean 13
Energy DC Building Code Amendment Act of 2022, effective September 21, 2022 (D.C. Law 14
24-177; D.C. Official Code § 6-1453.01(a)(3)). 15

2

“(a-2) Any natatorium constructed by the District shall be built to at least LEED Silver 16
standards as determined by the Department of Buildings.”. 17
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 18
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 19
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 20
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code §1-301.47a). 21
Sec. 4 Effective date. 22
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 23
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 24
90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 25
412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 26
D.C. Official Code §1-204.12(a)). 27