PR 26-0519 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Net Zero Modification and Preservation Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

This resolution declares an emergency to modify District of Columbia building energy requirements. It would exempt certain residential and nonresidential projects from strict net zero energy compliance, adjust the definition of net-zero standards under the Clean Energy DC Building Code, and repeal a requirement for subsidized housing projects to meet additional net zero energy standards. These changes aim to provide budget certainty for the District's Executive in fiscal year 2027 and give affordable housing developers time to adjust to modified standards, addressing concerns about funding shortfalls for projects like the Congress Heights pool and Fort Davis Recreation Center. The resolution takes immediate effect without requiring a full legislative review process.
Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Council Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Feb 2026
Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Signed Feb 3, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → Enrollment · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was enrolled and finalized after passing the Council, with minor text refinements to the emergency declaration language. The core policy content remains largely unchanged, though the enrolled version uses slightly more formal language and clarifies that the resolution will become an 'Amendment Act' rather than just a resolution. The bill addresses concerns about the District's inability to fund certain net-zero energy projects due to budget constraints and Department of General Services' non-compliance with legal requirements.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on amending the Green Building Act of 2006 and Clean Energy DC Building Code Amendment Act of 2022 to modify net-zero energy requirements for residential and nonresidential projects, with specific emphasis on exempting certain projects from compliance due to funding limitations.
TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and text refinements throughout the document, including removal of placeholder lines and adjustment of line breaks for the enrolled version.

DEFINITION

The enrolled version clarifies that the resolution will result in the 'Net Zero Modification and Preservation Emergency Amendment Act of 2026' rather than just a resolution, indicating it will become law through the amendment process.

ENFORCEMENT

The Mayor's letter reference was slightly reworded to clarify that the Department of General Services will not seek waivers from the Green Building Advisory Council for certain project types.

TIMELINE

The enrolled version maintains the same effective date and single reading requirement for adoption, with no substantive changes to the legislative timeline.

Floor votes · Council Feb 3, 2026

How they voted

13–0
Passed
Total votes 13
Feb 3, 2026
D Democratic11
11 Yea
100% Yea
I Independent2
2 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
0
Feb 3, 2026
Council · Passed
Council Vote: pass (13-0)
council
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
PR26-0519 Introduced by Councilmember Lewis George at Office of the Secretary
legislature
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Janeese Lewis George
Janeese Lewis George
DDemocratic
DC
Ward 4