# District of Columbia B26-0146: Downtown Arena Revitalization Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2025 District of Columbia B26-0146, Downtown Arena Revitalization Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2025, is a Council Period 26 (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Phil Mendelson (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-03-28 (Act A26-0031 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 003328, Expires on Jun 18, 2025); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-04). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0146-26 - As of: 2026-11-04 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: District of Columbia B26-0146 - State: District of Columbia - Session: Council Period 26 (2025-2026) - Title: Downtown Arena Revitalization Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2025 - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-03 - Last action: 2025-03-28, Act A26-0031 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 003328, Expires on Jun 18, 2025 - Sponsor: Phil Mendelson (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 1 (12 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Tax breaks for arena land deals: benefit, high. The law keeps Lot 47 in Square 455 tax-exempt while the 1995 ground lease is active. Lot 47, Lot 884, and any adjacent leased airspace stay exempt while the new arena lease is active. Deed recordation and transfer taxes do not apply to transfers between the District and DC Arena L.P. (or its design… - Local hiring and apprenticeships for arena jobs: benefit, medium. The arena project must follow First Source hiring rules. District residents get priority for jobs tied to the Development and Financing Agreement. Apprenticeship requirements under District law also apply. This boosts local hiring and paid training during construction and operations. - Faster approval for arena signs: mixed, low. The city can change rules to allow more outdoor, digital, and canvas signs on the arena. The Council has 45 days to review any proposed rule changes; if it does nothing, they take effect. This speeds up approvals for the arena’s signage, but reduces active Council oversight. - District approves downtown arena contracts: mixed, low. The law approves three contracts dated October 18, 2024: the Development and Financing Agreement, the Amended and Restated Lease, and the Purchase and Sale Agreement with DC Arena L.P. The Mayor may sign and carry out these agreements. This clears the way for the project to proceed, without setting… - Easements and free airspace for arena: mixed, low. The Mayor may grant easements over Lot 47 (Square 455) and Lot 884 (Square 454) to WMATA, nearby owners, the lessee, or others to carry out the arena agreements. The Mayor may lease nearby airspace to DC Arena L.P. or its designee at no rent while the Amended and Restated Lease is in effect. If NCP… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Phil Mendelson (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-04 | House | Final Reading, CC | pass | 12 | 0 | | ## Actions (7) - 2025-03-28: Act A26-0031 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 003328, Expires on Jun 18, 2025 (House) - 2025-03-20: Returned from Mayor (House) - 2025-03-20: Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0031, Expires on Jun 18, 2025 (House) - 2025-03-11: Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Mar 25, 2025 (House) - 2025-03-04: Legislative Meeting (House) - 2025-03-04: Retained by the Council (House) - 2025-03-03: B26-0146 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary (House) ## Bill text - Enrollment, 2025-03-04: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57258/Meeting1/Enrollment/B26-0146-Enrollment1.pdf?Id=207701) - Introduced, 2025-03-03: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57258/Introduction/B26-0146-Introduction.pdf?Id=207343) ## Related bills - B26-0047: Funeral Directors Licensing Reform Amendment Act of 2025 (signed) - B26-0785: Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Rental Vehicle Sales Tax Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 (signed) - B26-0663: Fiscal Year 2026 Revised Local Budget Temporary Act of 2026 (signed) - B26-0181: Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Amendment Act of 2025 (signed) - B26-0735: Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Temporary Amendment Act of 2026 (signed) - B26-0760: Medical Cannabis Licensing and Unlicensed Establishment Enforcement Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2026 (signed) ## Sources - [Enrollment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57258/Meeting1/Enrollment/B26-0146-Enrollment1.pdf?Id=207701) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57258/Introduction/B26-0146-Introduction.pdf?Id=207343) ## Related - [B26-0047: Funeral Directors Licensing Reform Amendment Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0047-26) - [B26-0785: Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Rental Vehicle Sales Tax Clarification Emergency Amend…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0785-26) - [B26-0663: Fiscal Year 2026 Revised Local Budget Temporary Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0663-26) - [B26-0181: Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Amendment Act…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0181-26) - [B26-0735: Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Correcti…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0735-26) - [B26-0760: Medical Cannabis Licensing and Unlicensed Establishment Enforcement Clarificati…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0760-26) - [District of Columbia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/district-of-columbia/bills) - [District of Columbia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/district-of-columbia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0146-26 (as of 2026-11-04).