# District of Columbia B26-0208: Open Meetings Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

District of Columbia B26-0208, Open Meetings Clarification Amendment Act of 2025, is a Council Period 26 (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Phil Mendelson (Democratic); status became law, last action 2026-08-28 (Law L26-0167, Effective from Aug 20, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 012063) (as of 2026-11-04).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0208-26
- 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 B26-0208
- State: District of Columbia
- Session: Council Period 26 (2025-2026)
- Title: Open Meetings Clarification Amendment Act of 2025
- Status: became law
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-03-27
- Last action: 2026-08-28, Law L26-0167, Effective from Aug 20, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 012063
- Sponsor: Phil Mendelson (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (44 yes, 4 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 7

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Clearer rules for public meeting coverage: benefit, low. A public-body meeting includes a quorum gathering to consider, conduct, or advise on public business, in any communication format. Covered activities include hearings, gathering information, discussion, recommendations, and votes; social gatherings, chance gatherings, and press conferences are excl…
- Public meeting access when technology fails: benefit, low. Public bodies must take reasonable steps to let people watch or hear meetings as they happen. If live access is not technologically possible, they must provide access as soon afterward as reasonably practical. The law also requires the action covered by the amended record rule to be recorded instea…
- Council–Mayor talks exempt without official decisions: cost, low. Meetings between D.C. Councilmembers and the Mayor are exempt from the Open Meetings Act when no official action is decided. Meetings that decide official action do not qualify for this exception.
- Criminal justice council meetings become exempt: cost, low. The D.C. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council is exempt from the Open Meetings Act. Its meetings are not subject to the Act’s public-meeting requirements.
- Less certain notice of public meetings: cost, low. Public bodies must attempt to give meeting notice, replacing the prior requirement to provide notice subject to exceptions. The law also changes notice exceptions, including one for urgent matters that overrides specified notice requirements. The supplied text does not give the full notice period o…
- Council gathering disclosures and rule flexibility: mixed, low. New disclosure rules cover unannounced Council quorum gatherings about public business when advance notice was not otherwise required. The convener must notify the appropriate Council officer within 24 business hours after the gathering. The Council must post the date, approximate time, and topic o…
- Private briefings for serious safety threats: mixed, low. Public bodies may receive private briefings about methods to protect people or the body from existing or potential terrorism. The exception also covers other substantial dangers to public health and safety. Briefings may come from staff, legal counsel, law enforcement, or emergency service official…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Phil Mendelson (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-06-23 | House | Final Reading | pass | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 2026-06-23 | House | Other | pass | 13 | 0 |   |
| 2026-06-02 | House | Other | pass | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026-06-02 | House | First Reading | pass | 9 | 2 | 2 |

## Actions (15)

- 2026-08-28: Law L26-0167, Effective from Aug 20, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 012063 (House)
- 2026-07-14: Enacted without Mayor's Signature with Act Number A26-0361 (House)
- 2026-07-10: Act A26-0361 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 009392 (House)
- 2026-07-09: Transmitted to Congress (House)
- 2026-07-06: Returned from Mayor (House)
- 2026-06-26: Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 13, 2026 (House)
- 2026-06-23: Legislative Meeting (House)
- 2026-06-02: Legislative Meeting (House)
- 2026-06-02: Committee Mark-up of B26-0208 by the Committee of the Whole (House)
- 2025-04-22: Public Hearing on B26-0208 View Public Hearing Record (House)
- 2025-04-04: Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register (House)
- 2025-04-04: Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0208 Published in the District of Columbia Register (House)
- 2025-04-01: Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Committee of the Whole (House)
- 2025-04-01: Referred to Committee of the Whole (House)
- 2025-03-27: B26-0208 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary (House)

## Bill text

- Amendment, 2026-06-23: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting2/Amendment/B26-0208-Amendment1.pdf?Id=241942)
- Enrollment, 2026-06-23: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting2/Enrollment/B26-0208-Enrollment2.pdf?Id=240963)
- Amendment, 2026-06-02: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting1/Amendment/B26-0208-Amendment1.pdf?Id=239634)
- Engrossment, 2026-06-02: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting1/Engrossment/B26-0208-Engrossment2.pdf?Id=240801)
- Introduced, 2025-03-27: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Introduction/B26-0208-Introduction.pdf?Id=209159)

## 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
- [Amendment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting2/Amendment/B26-0208-Amendment1.pdf?Id=241942)
- [Enrollment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting2/Enrollment/B26-0208-Enrollment2.pdf?Id=240963)
- [Amendment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting1/Amendment/B26-0208-Amendment1.pdf?Id=239634)
- [Engrossment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Meeting1/Engrossment/B26-0208-Engrossment2.pdf?Id=240801)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/57477/Introduction/B26-0208-Introduction.pdf?Id=209159)

## 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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0208-26 (as of 2026-11-04).