Back to District of Columbia

B26-0634 • 2025

Arena Safety Conformity Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Arena Safety Conformity Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source confirms the act expires in 90 days but does not explicitly state whether an extension process exists beyond general emergency provisions.

Arena Safety Conformity Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This law adds the Downtown Arena and Southeast Arena to a list of places where people cannot enter the playing surface without permission.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds the Downtown Arena and Southeast Arena to an existing safety law for sports venues.
  • Defines the Downtown Arena as a sports and entertainment arena located at 601 F Street, N.W.
  • Defines the Southeast Arena as a sports and entertainment arena located at 1100 Oak Drive, S.E.
  • Prohibits anyone from entering any portion of the playing surface in these arenas unless authorized by specific operators or agents.
  • Updates the legal definition of 'playing field' or 'playing surface' to include areas within seating facilities at both new arenas.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who might try to enter the playing surfaces of the Downtown Arena or Southeast Arena without permission
  • The operator and authorized agents of the Downtown Arena
  • The Washington Convention and Sports Authority, lessee, or operator of the Southeast Arena

Terms To Know

Playing surface
The area encompassed by seating facilities within a stadium or arena.
Emergency basis
A special status that allows the law to remain in effect for no longer than 90 days unless extended.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is an emergency measure and will expire after 90 days if not renewed.
  • The text does not specify penalties or fines, as it amends a law from 1977 that contains those details.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0291 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 006059, Expires on Jul 07, 2026

  2. 2026-04-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2026-04-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0291, Expires on Jul 07, 2026

  4. 2026-04-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Apr 15, 2026

  5. 2026-03-31 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2026-03-31 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2026-03-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0634 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Arena Safety Conformity Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-291
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
APRIL 8,2026
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,theRobertF.KennedyMemorialStadiumandtheDistrictofColumbia NationalGuard Armory PublicSafetyAct to includethe Downtown Arena and
theSoutheastArenaintheprohibitiononunauthorizedentryontoaplayingsurface,
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthis
actmaybecitedasthe“ArenaSafetyConformityEmergencyAmendmentActof2026”.
Sec.2.TheRobertF.KennedyMemorialStadiumandtheDistrictofColumbiaNationalGuardArmoryPublicSafetyAct,effectiveNovember3,1977(D.C.Law2-37;D.C.OfficialCode§3-341efseq,),isamendedasfollows:
(a)Section3a(D.C.OfficialCode§3-342.01)isamendedasfollows:
(1)A newparagraph(1A)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
(IA)“DowntownArena”meansasportsandentertainmentarenalocatedat601

FStreet,N.W.”.
(2)A newparagraph(3)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(3)“SoutheastArena”meansasportsandentertainmentarenalocatedat1100OakDrive,S.E.”.
(b)Section4b(D.C.OfficialCode§3-343.02)isamendedasfollows:
(1)Newsubsections(b-2)and(b-3)areaddedtoreadasfollows:“(b-2)UnlessexpresslyauthorizedbytheoperatoroftheDowntownArena,oritsdulyauthorizedagents,nopersonshallatanytimeenterontoanyportionoftheplayingsurfacewithintheDowntownArena.
“(b-3)UnlessexpresslyauthorizedbytheWashingtonConventionandSportsAuthority,thelesseeoroperatoroftheSoutheastArena,ortheirdulyauthorizedagents,nopersonshallatanytimeenterontoanyportionoftheplayingsurfacewithintheSoutheastArena.”.(2)Subsection(c)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(c)Forthepurposesofthissection,theterm“playingfield”or“playingsurface”,asapplicable,meanstheareaencompassedbytheseatingfacilitieswithintheRobertF.Kennedy

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Memorial Stadium,theBaseballStadium,theSoccerStadium,theDowntown Arena,or the
SoutheastArena,as such seatingfacilitiesmay be arrangedfrom timetotime.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4,Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
lg——
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

APPROVED,
APRIL 8, 2026

DocketNo,826-0634
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA,

{]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[X]ACTION FinalReading
(X]VOTEDATE ‘March31,2026
[x1voicevote ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT

[]ROLLCALLVOTE-Result

CouncMember [aye|Nay|NV [AB[Rec[CouncilMember_[Aye| Nay|NV’[AB|Ree]CounciMember Nay|NV[AB[Rec
haiemanMendelson]X Frumin x Pinto x
Allen x Henderson x R.White
Bonds x LewisGeorge| x White x
Craword x Nadeau x
Felder x Parker x
X-IndicateVote NV-Present,NotVoting_
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
te“SecretaryfotheCoun Date