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Councilmember Charles Allen 3
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A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 11
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To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend An Act Making 15
appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia 16
for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and fourteen and for other 17
purposes, to extend the holdover period for commissioners of the Public Service 18
Commission. 19
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , That this 21
resolution may be cited as the “Public Service Commission Holdover Period Extension Emergency 22
Declaration Resolution of 2026”. 23
Sec. 2. (a) The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (“PSC”) is the 24
District’s energy and telecommunications regulator. The PSC is led by three commissioners who 25
are appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council. The current commissioners 26
are Chairman Emile C. Thompson, and commissioners Ted Trabue, Jr. and Richard A. Beverly. 27
Charmain Thompson and Commissioner Trabue’s terms are set to expire on June 30, 2026. 28
(b) On January 6, 2026, PR26-0500, the Public Service Commission Emile Thompson 29
Confirmation Resolution of 2026, and PR26-0501, the Public Service Commission Ted Trabue, Jr. 30
Confirmation Resolution of 2026, were introduced by the Chairman at the request of the Mayor . 31
The measures would have reappointed Chairman Thompson and Commissioner Trabue to new 32
four-year terms to end on June 30, 2030. The measures were initially referred to the Committee of 33
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the Whole on January 20, 2026, but were ultimately re-referred to the Committee on Transportation 34
and the Environment on February 17, 2026. The Committee on Transportation and the 35
Environment did not hold a hearing on or approve the measures. On April 22, 2026, the Mayor 36
withdrew the measures from consideration before they were deemed disapproved. 37
(c) PR26-0668, the Public Service Commission Emile Thompson Confirmation Resolution 38
of 2026, and PR26-0669, the Public Service Commission Ted Trabue, Jr. Confirmation Resolution 39
of 2026, were introduced by the Chairman at the request of the Mayor on April 22, 2026. Like the 40
previously introduced resolutions, these measures would reappoint Chairman Thompson and 41
Commissioner Trabue to new four-year terms to end on June 30, 2030. The measures were referred 42
to the Committee on Transportation and the Environment on May 5, 2026 , and will be deemed 43
disapproved on October 6, 2026, unless the Council approves the resolution. 44
(d) Section 2(c) of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2 -45
142: D.C. Official Code § 1 -523.01(c)) provides that “ [n]o person shall serve in a hold -over 46
capacity for longer than 180 days after the expiration of the term to which he or she was appointed” 47
for offices that are appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council. Given that 48
their current terms are set to expire on June 30, 2026 , Chairman Thompson and Commissioner 49
Trabue’s holdover period under current law would end on December 27, 2026. 50
(e) Over the last year, energy costs in the District have risen more than any other state in 51
the country. As the District’s energy utility regulator, the PSC has presided over the very cases that 52
have allowed these rate increases to occur. The PSC needs new leadership to navigate the utility 53
affordability crisis taking place in the District. A new Mayor will be inaugurated in January 2027, 54
and they should determine who is best qualified to lead the PSC for the next four years. 55
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(f) This emergency legislation is now necessary to extend the holdover period from 180 56
days to 270 days to allow the current commissioners to continue to serve while the next Mayor 57
determines their successors. 58
Sec. 3. The Council finds the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency 59
circumstances making it necessary that the “Public Service Commission Holdover Period 60
Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2026” be adopted after a single reading. 61
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 62