Plain English Breakdown
The official text does not specify an exact effective date, only that it takes effect after Mayor approval or veto override and lasts no more than 90 days.
Act to Allow Waivers of the Five-Year Wait for Pardon Applicants
This law lets the D.C. Clemency Board skip the five-year waiting period for pardon applicants if they have already received a waiver from federal authorities.
What This Bill Does
- Amends section 205 of the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018 on an emergency basis due to congressional review.
- Allows the Board to grant waivers of the five-year waiting requirement for people seeking pardons upon written request.
- Requires applicants to show proof that a federal Pardon Attorney or the President waived their wait time first.
- Lets the Board ask for more information or meet with applicants before making a decision.
- Stops all other parts of an application from moving forward until the waiver request is decided.
Who It Names or Affects
- People in Washington, D.C. who are applying for pardons and want to skip the five-year wait.
- The District of Columbia Clemency Board members who review these requests.
Terms To Know
- Clemency Board
- A group in Washington, D.C. that reviews applications for pardons and sentence reductions.
- Waiver
- An official permission to ignore a rule or requirement, such as the five-year waiting period.
Limits and Unknowns
- The Board cannot grant these waivers if an applicant is currently on probation, parole, or supervised release.
- This law only stays in effect for no longer than 90 days after it takes full legal force.
- The Clemency Board can still say no to a waiver even if the federal government has already approved one.