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B26-0699 • 2025

Arena Safety Conformity Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Arena Safety Conformity Congressional Review 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
2026-07-03
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Arena Safety Conformity Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This emergency 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 definitions for 'Downtown Arena' and 'Southeast Arena' to an existing safety law.
  • Prohibits unauthorized entry onto the playing surfaces at Downtown Arena unless authorized by the operator or their agents.
  • Prohibits unauthorized entry onto the playing surfaces at Southeast Arena unless authorized by the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, the lessee, the operator, or their agents.
  • Updates the definition of 'playing surface' to include these two new locations alongside stadiums already covered by the law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who enter or attempt to enter Downtown Arena
  • People who enter or attempt to enter Southeast Arena

Terms To Know

Downtown Arena
A sports and entertainment arena located at 601 F Street, N.W.
Southeast Arena
A sports and entertainment arena located at 1100 Oak Drive, S.E.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law is an emergency act that remains in effect for no longer than 90 days after approval.
  • The text does not specify the penalties or fines for violating these new rules.

Bill History

  1. 2026-07-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0357 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 009228, Expires on Sep 22, 2026

  2. 2026-06-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2026-06-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0357, Expires on Sep 22, 2026

  4. 2026-06-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 01, 2026

  5. 2026-06-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2026-06-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2026-05-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0699 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Arena Safety Conformity Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
.C.ACT 26-357
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JUNE 24, 2026
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,duetocongressionalreview,theRobertF.Kennedy
MemorialStadiumandDistrictofColumbiaNationalGuardArmoryPublicSafetyActto
includetheDowntownArenaandtheSoutheastArenaintheprohibitiononunauthorized
entryontoa playingsurface.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“ArenaSafetyConformityCongressionalReviewEmergency
‘AmendmentActof2026”.
Sec.2.The RobertF.Kennedy Memorial Stadium and Districtof Columbia National
Guard Armory PublicSafetyAct,effectiveNovember 3, 1977 (D.C.Law 2-37;D.C. Official
Code § 3-341 efseq.),isamended as follows:
(a) Section3a (D.C.OfficialCode § 3-342.01)isamended as follows:
(1)A newparagraph(1A)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(1A) “Downtown Arena” means asports and entertainmentarenalocatedat601
FStreet,N.W.”.
(2)A newparagraph(3)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(3)“SoutheastArena” means a sportsand entertainmentarenalocatedat 1100
Oak Drive,S.E.”.
(b) Section4b (D.C.OfficialCode § 3-343.02)isamended as follows:
(1)New subsections(b-2)and(b-3)areaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(b-2)UnlessexpresslyauthorizedbytheoperatoroftheDowntownArena,oritsduly
authorizedagents,no personshallatany timeenterontoany portionof theplayingsurface
withintheDowntown Arena.
“(b-3)UnlessexpresslyauthorizedbytheWashingtonConventionandSportsAuthority,
thelesseeoroperatoroftheSoutheastArena,ortheirdulyauthorizedagents,nopersonshallat
anytimeenterontoanyportionoftheplayingsurfacewithintheSoutheastArena.”.
(2)Subsection(c)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(c)Forthepurposesofthissection,theterm“playingfield”or“playingsurface”,as
applicable,meanstheareaencompassedbytheseatingfacilitieswithintheRobertF.Kennedy
1

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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
MemorialStadium,theBaseballStadium,theSoccerStadium,theDowntownArena,ortheSoutheastArena,assuchseatingfacilitiesmaybearrangedfromtimetotime.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementof theBudget Directoras thefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
hairman
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia

APPROVED
JUNE 24, 2026

COUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0699
[X]TEM ONCONSENTCALENDAR,

[XJACTION FinalReading,CC
(X]VOTEDATE une2,2026
1X]VOICEVOTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
‘ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTEResult

(CouncilMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye|Nay|NV [AB[Rec[CounciMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB
ChairmanMendelson]X Frumin x Pinto
Allen x Henderson|x R.White
Bonds x LewisGeorge| x White
Crawiord x Nadeau x
Felder x Parker x
X-IndicateVote ‘AB~Absent NVPresent,NotVoting Rec-Recused g (CERTIFICATIONRECORD
cretarytotheCouncil