Criminal Justice

This bill amends Washington D.C.'s Juvenile Curfew Act to set a daily curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for all youth under 18, expanding the previous age limit. It grants the Mayor emergency authority to extend curfew hours beyond 11 p.m. for public safety or property protection, and allows the Chief of Police to establish temporary "extended curfew zones" in specific areas. Police must issue at least two audible warnings before enforcing curfew in non-emergency situations, provide time to disperse, and document interactions via body cameras. The changes apply immediately to all D.C. youth under 18 during designated curfew hours.

This resolution disapproves a $5.5 million reprogramming request from the Mayor that would have transferred funds from the Office of Unified Communications and Corrections to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for FY2025 overtime budget balancing. It directly affects MPD's budget accounting by preventing the transfer of these specific local funds, which would have been added to existing overtime funding totaling $30 million (including prior Council-approved supplements). The resolution must be passed before November 10, 2025, to block the automatic approval of the reprogramming request. This is a procedural measure addressing budget reconciliation, not new spending.

PR 26-0381 (Juvenile Curfew Second Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025) proposes to extend emergency authority for the District of Columbia's juvenile curfew laws. It would allow the Mayor to extend curfew hours beyond current limits and empower the Chief of Police to establish specific curfew zones in areas with safety concerns, starting curfew at 11 p.m. daily and expanding coverage to include 17-year-olds. The resolution directly affects unaccompanied youth aged 17 and under and aims to address recurring incidents of large youth gatherings leading to violence, as reported by MPD following the expiration of prior emergency curfew legislation. The changes would amend the Juvenile Curfew Act of 1995 and make related updates to the Volunteer Services Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025.

This resolution amends two laws to address immediate needs. It authorizes the District of Columbia Clemency Board to grant 5-year waiting period waivers for pardon applicants (mirroring federal DOJ practice), ensuring applicants with federal waivers aren't deemed ineligible. It also delays implementation of the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022 from March 1, 2025, to October 1, 2027, giving agencies more time to prepare. The changes directly affect clemency applicants and local agencies implementing the Second Chance Act.

This emergency bill extends existing pretrial detention policies in Washington, D.C., by removing their automatic expiration date. It directly affects the District's pretrial system, which determines whether individuals are held before trial. Key provisions repeal sunset clauses in the 2024 Secure DC Omnibus Act and adjust reporting deadlines for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to May 7, 2025, instead of referencing prior legislation. The bill clarifies that reports must now be submitted after two specific emergency measures take effect, streamlining compliance for agencies. This is a procedural extension focused on maintaining current pretrial detention rules without creating new policies.