PR26-0262 • 2025

Open Meetings Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Mendelson
Last action: 2025-07-11
Official status: Approved
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how meetings must be made accessible to the public, only that it clarifies and allows exemptions under certain conditions.

Emergency Changes to Open Meetings Law

This resolution clarifies the definition of meetings under the District of Columbia's Open Meetings Act and allows briefings on potential threats without taking official action.

What This Bill Does

Clarifies that meetings include any gathering where official business is discussed, even if no formal vote happens.
Allows government bodies to be briefed on potential threats like terrorism or health issues without taking official actions during the briefing.
Exempts meetings between the Council and Mayor from the Open Meetings Act as long as they do not take official action.

Who It Names or Affects

Government bodies in the District of Columbia
The public who want to attend government meetings

Terms To Know

Emergency Act: A law passed quickly during a crisis situation.
Temporary Act: A short-term law that is reviewed by Congress before becoming permanent.

Limits and Unknowns

The resolution only applies until the Temporary Act passes congressional review.
It does not specify what happens if there's a gap between when the Emergency Act expires and the Temporary Act takes effect.

Bill History

2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Resolution R26-0155, Effective from Jul 01, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 007712
2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council
2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Approved with Resolution Number R26-0155
2025-06-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
PR26-0262 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Open Meetings Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

A RESOLUTION

26-155

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

July 1, 2025

To declare the existence of an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need
to amend the Open Meetings Act to clarify the definition of meeting, to provide for a
public body’s ability to be briefed about potential terrorist or public health threats so long
as no official action is taken, to exempt from the act meetings between the Council and
the Mayor provided that no official action is taken at such meetings, and to provide that a
meeting shall be deemed open to the public if the public body takes steps reasonably
calculated to allow the public to view or hear the meeting while the meeting is taking
place, or, if doing so is not technologically feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably
practicable.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Open Meetings Clarification Congressional Review Emergency
Declaration Resolution of 2025”.

Sec. 2. (a) On April 1, 2025, the Council adopted the Open Meetings Clarification
Emergency Amendment Act of 2025, effective April 7, 2025 (D.C. Act 26-41; 72 DCR 4070)
(“Emergency Act”), which will expire on July 6, 2025.
(b) Subsequently, the Open Meetings Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025,
enacted on June 25, 2025 (D.C. Act 26-86; 72 DCR ____) (“Temporary Act”), was enacted,
which is pending congressional review.
(c) Identical emergency legislation is necessary to prevent a gap in the law between the
expiration of the Emergency Act and the effective date of the Temporary Act.

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia finds that the circumstances enumerated
in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Open Meetings
Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be adopted after a
single reading.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.