Councilmember Phil Mendelson

Maddy summaryThis procedural resolution amends the Council of the District of Columbia's organizational rules for Period 26. It repeals the Committee on Business and Economic Development (Section 232), creates a new Subcommittee on Local Business Development under the Committee of the Whole, and adjusts the 2026 recess dates (from April 4-12 to April 11-19). Jurisdiction over business development matters, agencies like the Department of Small and Local Business Development, and oversight of Robert F. Kennedy Stadium development are transferred to the new subcommittee and other committees. The resolution does not create new policy but reorganizes committee structures and responsibilities.

Maddy summaryThis is a procedural confirmation resolution (PR 26-0462), not a policy bill. It formally confirms Mayor Bowser's appointment of Rohan Young - a Ward 7 high school student (Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Class of 2028) - to fill a vacant seat on the Commission on Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes. The commission was established by D.C. Law 21-261 (2016) to oversee youth development programs. The resolution confirms Young's appointment for the remainder of an unexpired term ending November 7, 2027. No new policy or program changes are created by this resolution.

Maddy summaryThis resolution confirms Mayor Muriel Bowser's appointment of Tanya Torres Trice as Director of the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) in the District of Columbia. It is a routine procedural step required by District law (under the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Act of 1977) to formalize the mayor's nomination for this leadership role. The bill does not create new policies or affect any specific group beyond confirming Ms. Trice's appointment to lead CFSA, which oversees child welfare services including foster care, adoption, and family support programs. The resolution takes effect immediately upon adoption by the Council.

Maddy summaryThis bill orders the closure of an unused right of way on Lot 817 in Square 708, Ward 8, previously part of the Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge approach. It directs that the land title vest as shown on the Surveyor's plat, as the Council determined this area is no longer needed for street purposes. The bill is procedural, focusing solely on administrative land title transfer and closing a specific, unnecessary right of way. It does not create new policies or affect residents, businesses, or services. The closure follows standard District land management procedures under existing law.

Maddy summaryThe RENTAL Act of 2025 (B 26-0164) aims to stabilize Washington, D.C.'s affordable housing market by modifying pandemic-era housing policies. It directly affects low-income tenants (expanding eligibility for rent assistance to households earning up to 50% of area median income), landlords, and housing authorities. Key provisions include increasing Local Rent Supplement Program access, reforming emergency rental aid rules, strengthening tenant safety protections for violent offenses, streamlining eviction court processes, and preserving the DC Housing Authority's STAR Board structure. The bill also modernizes tenant protection laws and gives housing officials new authority to convert vacant properties into affordable housing.

Maddy summaryThis bill temporarily amends District of Columbia business licensing rules to take effect October 1, 2025. It restores the four-year business license (priced at $198) that would have been eliminated by the BEST Act, directly benefiting residential property owners and apartment complexes. The bill also allows businesses with licenses expired for more than nine months to renew by paying a fine, and changes entertainment venue license requirements to notify neighborhood commissions instead of holding public hearings. Additionally, it reinstates the Mayor's authority to refund erroneously paid license fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the expiration period for conditional licenses for medical cannabis businesses in Washington, D.C., from two years to three years. It directly affects cultivation centers, retailers, internet retailers, manufacturers, couriers, and testing laboratories currently holding conditional licenses. The key change updates existing license terms to allow holders until the end of the three-year term to secure permanent locations, with automatic conversions for licenses that previously moved from one-year to two-year terms. The extension is temporary and expires 225 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis resolution confirms Dr. Roger Kahn's reappointment to the District of Columbia's Science Advisory Board for a term ending April 18, 2029. It directly affects the Board by extending Dr. Kahn's service as a member, who has extensive experience in forensic science and DNA analysis, including prior roles as a crime lab director and published researcher. The confirmation follows the Mayor's nomination and aligns with the Board's establishment under the Department of Forensic Sciences Establishment Act of 2011.

Maddy summaryThis is a procedural confirmation resolution (PR 26-0502), not a substantive bill. It formally requests the Council of the District of Columbia to confirm Nicole Roehm's reappointment as a member of the Science Advisory Board. The resolution confirms her appointment as a forensic scientist not employed by the District's forensic services, effective until April 18, 2029, per the Department of Forensic Sciences Establishment Act. It does not create new policies or affect any constituency beyond confirming this specific appointment.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a procedural resolution confirming Claudine Carter Pereira's reappointment to the Science Advisory Board of the District of Columbia. It formally approves her service as a forensic scientist member (not employed by the Department of Forensic Sciences or law enforcement labs) for a term ending April 18, 2029, under existing law (D.C. Law 19-18). The resolution directly affects only Claudine Carter Pereira, who has extensive forensic science experience including directing a crime lab and serving on national forensic science committees. It does not create new policy or alter existing laws - only ratifies a specific appointment.