DC Council Committee of the Whole Meeting – April 21, 2026

The Committee of the Whole, chaired by Chairman Phil Mendelson, met on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 12:47 PM in the Council Chambers of the Johnny Wilson Building. The meeting included markups of several appointment resolutions and bills, followed by reports from other committees on measures including juvenile curfew, affordable housing, medical debt, and disability-related Medicaid. A quorum was present.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously approved waiving the reading of the Secretary's Report and the Secretary's Log of Introductions and Referrals.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public testimony was received or noted for any of the items discussed.

Discussion Items

Appointment Resolutions (Consent)

• PR 26-575 (Brad Belzak appointment to Metro Rail Safety Commission): Mr. Belzak was appointed by the Council to the Board of Directors of the Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission for a four-year term ending February 9, 2030. He has experience in security and risk assessment. No opposition was received.
• PR 26-576 (Laura Hankins reappointment to OAH Administrative Law Judge Commission): Ms. Hankins was reappointed as a voting member for a three-year term ending April 30, 2029. She is General Counsel at the DC Public Defender Service. No opposition was received.
• PR 26-577 & PR 26-578 (Whitney Miller and Carolyn Woods reappointments to the Citizen Review Panel): Both were reappointed as members of the Citizen Review Panel, which oversees DC's child welfare system. Their terms end April 11, 2029. No opposition was received.

Bill Markups (All Placed on Consent Agenda for May 5)

• Bill 26-419 (Youth Services Provider Background Check Amendment Act): Allows authorized covered youth services providers to independently conduct criminal background checks on applicants, employees, and volunteers, subject to FBI approval. Councilmember Henderson asked whether the FBI gave feedback on a similar measure in the 2026 Budget Support Act deemed insufficient; Chairman Mendelson said that was discussed with MPD and they believe this version meets federal standards. The bill is intended to be voluntary and no entity must conduct checks at its own expense. Unanimously approved.
• Bill 26-430 (Education Code Adjustments Amendment Act): Combines two bills to reduce and simplify education-related reporting requirements across multiple DC Code sections. Councilmember Henderson noted her office reviewed hundreds of mandates; many were duplicative or assigned to defunct agencies. The bill preserves the DCPS technology draft plan requirement. Unanimously approved.

Measures Reported from Other Committees

• Bill 26-461 (Juvenile Curfew Amendment Act): Presented by Councilmember Pinto. Creates a permanent version of the juvenile curfew emergency legislation that has been in effect since July 2025. The curfew allows MPD to declare limited geographic zones for groups of eight or more unsupervised minors under 18, typically after dark, as a preventative tool. No arrests have been made for violations to date. The bill does not include provisions that led to reports of National Guard involvement or police actions seen in recent incidents. Councilmember Pinto condemned those incidents and noted they have been referred to the Office of Police Complaints. Councilmember Robert White questioned whether the curfew prevents gatherings if they occur before curfew hours. Councilmember Lewis George asked for empirical evidence and raised concerns about National Guard enforcement not being subject to local oversight. The measure will be on the non-consent agenda for the May 5 legislative meeting.
• Bill 26-526 (LEARNS Act – Reentry Education Access): Presented by Councilmember Pinto. Requires the Department of Corrections to oversee education services for incarcerated youth, including special education evaluations and an online grievance portal. The bill bridges gaps for justice-involved youth and is the permanent version of previous emergency legislation. Estimated cost: $7.7 million in FY27, $26.7 million over four years. Placed on consent.
• Bill 26-399 (Support Opportunity Unity Legal Relationships Act – SOUL Family): Presented by Councilmember Parker. Creates a new permanency option for older youth (ages 16–20) in CFSA care: a "soul family" that allows a care network (e.g., mentors, relatives) to have legal rights. Over 30% of older youth find existing options insufficient. The bill was developed by youth leaders and was sequentially reviewed by the Committee on Youth Affairs and Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. Councilmember Henderson asked about closure of neglect cases and eligibility effects; Parker noted closure occurs when permanency is established, as is standard in adoptions. Estimated cost: $385,000 in FY26, $2 million over four years. Placed on consent.
• Bill 26-126 (Fair Housing Practices Amendment Act): Presented by Councilmember Robert White. Prohibits landlords from separately charging tenants for utility costs related to common spaces or vacant units; those costs must be included in base rent. Requires timely notice and dispute process before sending nonpayment to collections. Councilmember Lewis George asked about most common fees; Councilmember Allen cited vague common space fees and unpredictable swings of hundreds of dollars. Councilmember Fruman asked about interaction with rent stabilization laws; White said he would follow up. No fiscal impact. Placed on consent.
• Bill 26-542 (Powering Local Utility Guidance and Housing Act): Presented by Councilmember Robert White. Creates a DHCD technical team to help affordable housing developers navigate utility coordination—a frequent source of project delays. Habitat for Humanity testified that every new construction in the last decade faced PEPCO-related delays. Requires data-sharing agreements among agencies and utilities. Estimated cost: $1.1 million in FY26, $4.7 million over four years. Placed on consent.
• PR 26-548 (Funeral Directors Board – Casey Martin reappointment): Presented by Councilmember Henderson. Ms. Martin was reappointed for a term ending March 1, 2029. She has 23 years of experience and serves a variety of faiths. Councilmember Henderson noted that 55% of funeral directors will retire in five years. Placed on consent.
• PRs 26-552 through 26-557 (Six Nursing Board reappointments): Presented by Councilmember Henderson. All nominees were reappointed to the Board of Nursing. Councilmember Parker asked about the board's role in staffing ratios; Henderson clarified their focus is on scope of practice and licensing, not hospital-specific staffing. No fiscal impact. Placed on consent.
• Bill 26-356 (Prenatal and Postpartum Remote Patient Monitoring Clarification Act): Presented by Councilmember Henderson. Requires DC Health Care Finance to cover remote monitoring for blood pressure and glucose during pregnancy and up to 12 months postpartum. The 2020 law was never implemented; this bill narrows the scope to two specific conditions to enable implementation. The Council's Racial Equity Office issued a negative RIA, arguing narrowing could harm Black mothers, but Henderson countered that the original law was not implemented, so effectively no benefit exists now. Estimated cost: local cost $1.3 million in FY27, $4 million over four years; federal match $2.55 million in FY27, $7.8 million over four years. Placed on consent.
• Bill 26-438 (Medical Debt Mitigation Act): Presented by Councilmember Henderson. Nearly 90,000 DC residents (20%) have unpaid medical bills. The bill requires hospitals to provide free care for patients under 200% FPL and reduced-cost care up to 500% FPL, with payment plans capped at 3% of monthly income. Prohibits reporting medical debt to credit agencies, wage garnishment, and property liens. Limits medical debt interest to 3%. Excludes elective procedures. Councilmember Parker noted the hospital association pushed for a narrower definition of medically necessary; Henderson said the committee's definition (from Illinois law) avoids subjectivity and administrative burden. Estimated cost: $307,000 in FY27, $882,000 over four years. Placed on consent.
• Bill 26-463 (Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Amendment Act): Presented by Councilmember Henderson. Establishes a Medicaid buy-in program for employed people with disabilities who earn above current limits ($1,330/month for individuals). Participants would pay a monthly premium. Currently, 48 states have such programs. The bill removes the age limit and allows older adults to participate. Councilmember Lewis George noted that disabled workers often decline promotions to keep Medicaid. Estimated cost: net $2.6 million in FY27, $42.9 million over four years (local portion: $782,000 in FY27, rising to $6.7 million in FY29). Placed on consent.
• Bill 26-157 (Langston Slater Surplus Declaration and Disposition Approval Act): Presented by Councilmembers Fruman and Lewis George. Authorizes the sale of two historic former elementary schools in Truxton Circle for a mixed-income development: 40 rental units (60% affordable) in the historic buildings and 12 for-sale condos (58% affordable) in a new infill building. Councilmember Lewis George expressed concern about the high per-unit cost (over $500,000) due to historic preservation requirements, noting the project will create only 5 deeply affordable units and 22 units affordable to those under 50% MFI. She called for reconsidering preservation costs relative to housing needs. Councilmember Bonds questioned the efficiency of using historic preservation for low-income housing. Councilmember Parker noted the community is anxious for progress. No fiscal impact. Placed on consent.

Key Outcomes

• All six appointment resolutions were approved unanimously and placed on the consent agenda for the May 5, 2026 legislative meeting.
• Bill 26-419 (Youth Services Background Checks) was approved unanimously and placed on the consent agenda.
• Bill 26-430 (Education Code Adjustments) was approved unanimously and placed on the consent agenda.
• Bill 26-461 (Juvenile Curfew) was placed on the non-consent agenda for May 5.
• All other reported measures (Bills 26-526, 26-399, 26-126, 26-542, 26-356, 26-438, 26-463, and 26-157, plus nursing board reappointments and funeral directors reappointment) were placed on the consent agenda for May 5.
• The meeting was adjourned at 2:51 PM, with a legislative meeting to follow.