B26-0635 • 2025

Arena Safety Conformity Temporary Amendment Act of 2026

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Pinto
Last action: 2026-06-18
Official status: Under Congressional Review
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the bill is enacted but notes it must still pass through a 30-day Congressional Review Period before taking effect.

Arena Safety Conformity Temporary Amendment Act of 2026

This law temporarily adds the Downtown Arena and Southeast Arena to a list of places where people cannot walk onto the playing field without permission.

What This Bill Does

Adds the Downtown Arena and Southeast Arena to an existing safety law for sports venues in Washington, D.C.
Prohibits anyone from entering the playing surface at these arenas unless authorized by operators or their agents
Updates the legal definition of 'playing field' or 'playing surface' to include areas inside both new arenas surrounded by seating facilities
Sets a rule that this change will expire 225 days after it takes effect

Who It Names or Affects

People who visit the Downtown Arena at 601 F Street, N.W.
People who visit the Southeast Arena at 1100 Oak Drive, S.E.
Operators and agents of these two arenas
The Washington Convention and Sports Authority

Terms To Know

Playing surface: The area encompassed by the seating facilities within an arena, as such seating may be arranged from time to time.
Duly authorized agents: People who have official permission from the operator or authority to act on their behalf regarding entry rules.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only lasts for 225 days after it officially takes effect.
It does not say exactly when the effective date will be, as that depends on approval by the Mayor and a 30-day period of congressional review.

Bill History

2026-06-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Congress, Projected Law Date is Aug 01, 2026
2026-06-05 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Act A26-0332 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 008189
2026-05-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0332
2026-05-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2026-05-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on May 29, 2026
2026-05-05 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2026-03-31 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council
2026-03-31 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2026-03-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
B26-0635 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Arena Safety Conformity Temporary Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
ACT 26-332

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MAY 29, 2026
Toamend,onatemporarybasis,theRobertF.KennedyMemorialStadiumandtheDistrictofColumbiaNationalGuardArmoryPublicSafetyActtoincludetheDowntownArenaandtheSoutheastArenaintheprohibitiononunauthorizedentryontoaplayingsurface.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthis
actmaybecitedasthe“ArenaSafetyConformityTemporaryAmendmentActof2026”.
Sec.2.TheRobertF.KennedyMemorialStadiumandtheDistrictofColumbiaNationalGuardArmoryPublicSafetyAct,effectiveNovember3,1977(D.C.Law2-37;D.C.Official
Code§3-341efseq.),isamendedasfollows:(a)Section3a(D.C.OfficialCode§3-342.01)isamendedasfollows:(1)A newparagraph(1A)isaddedtoreadasfollows:(1A)“DowntownArena”meansasportsandentertainmentarenalocatedat601
F Street,N.W.”.(2)A newparagraph(3)isaddedtoreadasfollows:(3)“SoutheastArena”meansasportsandentertainmentarenalocatedat1100
OakDrive,S.E.”.(b)Section4b(D.C.OfficialCode§3-343.02)isamendedasfollows:(1)Newsubsections(b-2)and(b-3)areaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(b-2)UnlessexpresslyauthorizedbytheoperatoroftheDowntownArena,oritsdulyauthorizedagents,nopersonshallatanytimeenterontoanyportionoftheplayingsurface
withintheDowntownArena.”.“(b-3)UnlessexpresslyauthorizedbytheWashingtonConventionandSportsAuthority,thelesseeoroperatoroftheSoutheastArena,ortheirdulyauthorizedagents,nopersonshallatanytimeenterontoanyportionoftheplayingsurfacewithintheSoutheastArena.”.(2)Subsection(c)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(c)Forthepurposesofthissection,theterm“playingfield”or“playingsurface”,as
applicable,meanstheareaencompassedbytheseatingfacilitieswithintheRobertF.KennedyMemorialStadium,theBaseballStadium,theSoccerStadium,theDowntownArena,ortheSoutheastArena,assuchseatingfacilitiesmaybearrangedfromtimetotime.”.

1
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C,OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.(a)ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-206.02(c)(1)).
(b)Thisactshallexpireafter225daysofitshavingtakeneffect.
‘irman
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia

DistrictpfColumbia
APPROVEDMAY 29, 2026

COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

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