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B26-0695 • 2025

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Active

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

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2026-06-02
Official status
New
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific conditions under which the Clemency Board can grant or deny waivers, other than requiring notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney.

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This act allows the Clemency Board to waive a five-year waiting period for applicants seeking pardons under specific conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends section 205 of the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018 by adding new subsection (f).
  • Allows the Clemency Board to grant a waiver of the five-year waiting period requirement if requested in writing by an applicant and upon receiving notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
  • Requires the Clemency Board to provide written notice to applicants regarding their decision on waiver requests.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Applicants seeking pardons from the Clemency Board.
  • The Clemency Board members and staff.

Terms To Know

Clemency
An act of mercy by a government authority that reduces or eliminates punishment for someone who has committed an offense.
Waiver
A formal permission to do something that is usually required but not in this case.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act only applies during a specific emergency period and will expire after 90 days unless further action is taken.
  • It does not specify the exact conditions under which the Clemency Board can grant or deny waivers, other than requiring notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  2. 2026-05-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0695 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Clemency Board Waiver Authority Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
1

__________________________
Councilmember Brooke Pinto

AN ACT

_________________________

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

_________________________

To amend, on an emergency basis, due to congressional review, section 205 of the Clemency 1
Board Establishment Act of 2018 to authorize the Clemency Board to, for applicants 2
seeking a pardon, grant a waiver of the 5-year waiting period. 3
4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 5
act may be cited as the “Clemency Board Waiver Authority Second Congressional Review 6
Emergency Amendment Act of 2026”. 7
8
Sec. 2. Section 205 of the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018, effective 9
December 13, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-197; D.C. Official Code § 24-481.05), is amended by adding a 10
new subsection (f) to read as follows: 11
“(f) The Board may, upon written request of the applicant, grant a waiver of the 12
requirements of subsection (c)(1) of this section; provided, that: 13
“(1) The Board shall only grant a waiver under this subsection where the Board is 14
in receipt of notice from the Office of the Pardon Attorney that the Pardon Attorney or the 15
President of the United States has provided the applicant with a waiver of the 5-year requirement 16
pursuant to § 9-140.112 of the Department of Justice Manual; 17

2

“(2) The Board may decline to grant a waiver under this subsection even when the 18
Board is in receipt of the notice described in paragraph (1) of this subsection; 19
“(3) The Board shall not grant a waiver under this subsection when the applicant 20
is on probation, parole, or supervised release; 21
“(4) The Board may request additional information from the applicant to support 22
their request for a waiver of subsection (c)(1) of this section, which may include a request to 23
meet with the applicant to discuss their waiver request; 24
“(5) The Board shall provide the applicant with written notice of the Board’s 25
decision to grant or deny a waiver request pursuant to this subsection; and 26
“(6) Prior to the Board making a determination whether to grant a request for a 27
waiver pursuant to this subsection, the applicant’s application shall be deferred until a 28
determination is made.”. 29
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 30
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 31
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 32
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 33
Sec. 4. Effective date. 34
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 35
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 36
90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 37

3

412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 38
D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)). 39