Volunteer Services Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the duration of the emergency declaration or specific provisions about ensuring temporary changes remain in effect until permanent rules are established.

Clarifying Volunteer Rules for DC

This resolution clarifies the rules about volunteers in the District of Columbia and ensures there are no gaps when old volunteer laws expire.

What This Bill Does

• Declares an emergency situation to prevent a gap between the expiration of the Volunteer Services Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 and the effective date of the Volunteer Services Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025.
• Allows the Attorney General for DC to make rules about using volunteers.

Who It Names or Affects

• The District of Columbia
• Volunteers working with the government in DC

Terms To Know

Attorney General for the District of Columbia

A top lawyer who helps make rules and gives legal advice to the government of Washington, D.C.

Volunteers

People who help others without getting paid.

Limits and Unknowns

• The resolution only applies while there is a gap between old and new volunteer rules.
• It does not specify how long the emergency situation will last.

Official Summary Text

Volunteer Services Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Current Bill Text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

1

A RESOLUTION

26-198

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

October 7, 2025

To declare the existence of an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need
to amend the Volunteers Services Act of 1977 to clarify that the Attorney General for the
District of Columbia has the authority to promulgate regulations governing the Attorney
General’s use of volunteers.

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

Sec. 2. (a) On July 28, 2025, the Council passed the Volunteer Services Clarification
Emergency Amendment Act of 2025, effective August 11, 2025 (D.C. Act 26-138; 72 DCR
8947) (“emergency act”), which expires on November 9, 2025.
(b) On October 7, 2025, the Council passed the Volunteer Services Clarification
Temporary Amendment Act of 2025, passed on 3rd reading on October 7, 2025 (Enrolled
version of Bill 26-336) (“temporary act”), on third reading.
(c) This congressional review 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 determines that the circumstances
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the
Volunteer Services Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be
adopted after a single reading.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.