# District of Columbia PR26-0001: Rules of Organization and Procedure for the Council of the District of Columbia, Council Period 26, Resolution of 2025 District of Columbia PR26-0001, Rules of Organization and Procedure for the Council of the District of Columbia, Council Period 26, Resolution of 2025, is a Council Period 26 (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Phil Mendelson (Democratic); status adopted, last action 2025-02-14 (Resolution R26-0001, Effective from Jan 02, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 001289); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-04). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-PR26-0001-26 - 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 PR26-0001 - State: District of Columbia - Session: Council Period 26 (2025-2026) - Title: Rules of Organization and Procedure for the Council of the District of Columbia, Council Period 26, Resolution of 2025 - Status: adopted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-02 - Last action: 2025-02-14, Resolution R26-0001, Effective from Jan 02, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 001289 - Sponsor: Phil Mendelson (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (21 yes, 18 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 17 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Council harassment complaints get protected review: benefit, low. Targets can report harassment orally or in writing to a supervisor or Sexual Harassment Officer; employees can submit anonymous or witness reports online. Supervisors must tell the alleged harasser to stop, promptly seek resolution, take appropriate corrective action, and report in writing to an Of… - Harassment protections and training for Council workers: benefit, low. Effective immediately, the law prohibits sexual harassment of Council employees and retaliation for reporting or opposing it. The policy covers Councilmembers, employees, and third parties at Council worksites or doing Council business, including work trips and events. It bans demands for sexual fa… - Public gets notice of Council meetings: benefit, low. Council and committee meetings must be open through in-person access, television, or approved online methods, except for permitted closures. Officials cannot avoid this rule by keeping attendance below the number needed for official business. An attending Councilmember must notify the Secretary at… - Council employees face outside work limits: cost, low. Council employees cannot receive outside pay or other value for performing official duties. Outside work cannot conflict, or appear to conflict, with impartial service or Council operations; employees other than Councilmembers need supervisor approval. Permitted activities must follow other laws an… - Former Council staff face influence limits: cost, low. Former Council employees face limits on trying to influence District departments, agencies, or courts on another person's behalf. The restriction covers particular matters where the District is a party or has a direct and substantial interest. It does not ban all work after Council service. - Council staff must preserve official messages: cost, low. Council employees, including the Chairman and Councilmembers, must use government accounts or devices for electronic public business. Other accounts or devices require saving all messages, including disappearing messages, as text-searchable Council records. Current and former employees cannot knowi… - Council employees face gift limits: mixed, low. Council employees generally cannot seek or accept gifts from sources with District business, regulated activities, or interests affected by their work. An unsolicited-gift exception allows up to $50 per source per occasion and $100 per source per calendar year, excluding cash, stock, bonds, and cer… - Council personnel face financial conflict limits: mixed, low. Beginning January 2, 2025, Councilmembers and staff must act in the public interest and follow conduct laws and the Council Code. They cannot take official action involving personal, family, client, or business conflicts. Employees cannot use their positions or influence matters they know will like… - Council staff get limited event benefits: mixed, low. Council employees can accept reasonable food, travel, lodging, and scheduled entertainment for organized events tied to official business. Donors cannot be registered lobbyists or prohibited sources; events must be widely attended by non-District employees, with similar treatment for attendees. A s… - Council harassment findings require corrective action: mixed, low. Beginning January 2, 2025, Councilmembers and staff must follow the Sexual Harassment Policy; violations also break Council rules. They must complete equal employment opportunity training every year, including harassment and retaliation. When outside counsel finds harassment, the responsible Counci… - Council can accept restricted donations: mixed, low. Council employees can seek or accept donations for authorized Council duties. Donations become Council property and cannot fund unauthorized purposes. Corporate donors can receive a short, discreet credit line, but recognition cannot include product names, logos, or advertising-like content. - Council ethics training includes advice protections: mixed, low. Beginning January 2, 2025, the Council must review District ethics structure, training, enforcement, and culture, and work toward national standards. The Ethics Counselor must periodically train Councilmembers and staff and post training materials and summary guidelines online. Councilmembers and e… - Council staff face public office safeguards: mixed, low. Council employees cannot use work time or government resources for private purposes or political campaigns and ballot measures. Government-approved activities and tiny, non-disruptive uses are allowed, but employees cannot direct coworkers to perform personal services during work hours beyond incid… - Councilmembers face public meeting conduct rules: mixed, low. At public Council meetings, Councilmembers must treat each other respectfully and cannot direct profane, indecent, or abusive language at members or the Council. A member who promptly follows a warning avoids a Code violation for discipline under this rule. The rule preserves First Amendment rights… - Public records access includes privacy limits: mixed, low. Council and committee meetings must be recorded, or detailed minutes kept when recording is impossible. Open-meeting draft minutes are available within 3 business days and full records within 7 business days; requesters pay for copies. Specified informal gatherings with no expected official action… - Grant applicants face deadlines and caps: mixed, low. Organizations seeking earmarked District grants must submit required records within 7 days after funding enters first or, when applicable, second reading. Records include incorporation papers, tax-exemption evidence or a pending-application statement, financial reports, tax returns, notarized state… - Grant recipients face audits and disclosures: mixed, low. District grant recipients must be told that the District Auditor can audit them at random. Any resulting audit report is due by March 1 of the fiscal year following the grant's award year. Councilmembers, staff, and proposed grantees' officers and directors must disclose personal, family, or financ… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Phil Mendelson (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-01-02 | House | Final Reading | pass | 12 | 1 | | | 2025-01-02 | House | Other | fail | 3 | 10 | | | 2025-01-02 | House | Other | fail | 6 | 7 | | ## Actions (6) - 2025-02-14: Resolution R26-0001, Effective from Jan 02, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 001289 (House) - 2025-01-10: Notice of Intent to Act on PR26-0001 Published in the District of Columbia Register (House) - 2025-01-07: Retained by the Council (House) - 2025-01-02: Approved with Resolution Number R26-0001 (House) - 2025-01-02: Legislative Meeting (House) - 2025-01-02: PR26-0001 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary (House) ## Bill text - Amendment, 2025-01-02: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Meeting1/Amendment/PR26-0001-Amendment2.pdf?Id=204053), [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Meeting1/Amendment/PR26-0001-Amendment3.pdf?Id=204054) - Enrollment, 2025-01-02: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Meeting1/Enrollment/PR26-0001-Enrollment1.pdf?Id=204760) - Introduced, 2025-01-02: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Introduction/PR26-0001-Introduction.pdf?Id=203544) ## Related bills - 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) - B26-0047: Funeral Directors Licensing Reform 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) - B26-0181: Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Amendment Act of 2025 (signed) ## Sources - [Amendment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Meeting1/Amendment/PR26-0001-Amendment2.pdf?Id=204053) - [Amendment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Meeting1/Amendment/PR26-0001-Amendment3.pdf?Id=204054) - [Enrollment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Meeting1/Enrollment/PR26-0001-Enrollment1.pdf?Id=204760) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/56802/Introduction/PR26-0001-Introduction.pdf?Id=203544) ## Related - [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) - [B26-0047: Funeral Directors Licensing Reform Amendment Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0047-26) - [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) - [B26-0181: Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Amendment Act…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0181-26) - [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-PR26-0001-26 (as of 2026-11-04).