Regular Meeting of the Committee of the Whole – Council of DC – September 22, 2026

The Committee of the Whole of the Council of the District of Columbia met on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 12:25 PM in Room 500 of the Council Chambers (Johnny Wilson Building). Chairman Phil Mendelson presided. The meeting lasted approximately 1 hour and 14 minutes, adjourning at 1:39 PM. All 13 councilmembers were present. The committee marked up four bills, considered measures from other committees, and placed items on the consent or non-consent agenda for the subsequent legislative meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Waiver of reading of the Secretary's report and the Secretary's log of introductions and referrals was approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

• Bill 26-285 – Climatizing Our Overheated Living Spaces Regulation Amendment Act of 2026 (Introduced by Councilmember Henderson)

  • Amends D.C. Municipal Regulations to shift the dates when rental housing providers must supply heat (no later than October 15, previously October 1) and air conditioning (no later than May 1, previously May 15 for buildings offering AC). Also sets minimum and maximum year-round temperature requirements where tenant-controlled. Provides flexibility for two-pipe systems. The current code has not been updated in over 20 years.
  • Councilmember Henderson noted that over the past 20 years, the District has experienced 8 of the 10 hottest years on record. The bill originated from constituent complaints during the 2023 extended heat wave.
  • Councilmember Allen questioned whether the Department of Buildings had taken proactive steps; they had not. He confirmed that for two-pipe buildings, the change shifts the cooling requirement from June 1 to May 1.
  • Councilmember Bonds raised concerns about tenant ability to request temperature adjustments on short notice. Henderson explained that two-pipe systems take days to switch, so rapid adjustment is not feasible.
  • Councilmember Fruman highlighted that the date changes are based on a scatterplot analysis of temperature data from the Department of Energy and Environment.
  • The bill passed unanimously on both the print and the report.

• Bill 26-564 – Food and Friends Property Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2026 (Introduced by Chairman Mendelson and Councilmember Parker)

  • Exempts 100% of real property taxes for Food and Friends' property at 219 Riggs Road NE. Previously, 3% was taxable due to a billboard lease (Clear Channel). The lease ended in 2023. Without exemption, the nonprofit would owe ~$250,000/year in property taxes.
  • In 2025, Food and Friends provided approximately 1,055,000 meals to over 3,000 District residents, of whom 67% are low-income and 48% live in D.C.
  • Councilmember Parker rebutted misinformation, stating the exemption allows reinvestment equivalent to 28,000 more meals annually.
  • Unanimous approval.

• Bill 26-641 – Archdiocese of Washington Parish Real Property Deed Recordation and Transfer Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2026 (Introduced by Councilmembers Parker and Allen)

  • Confirms recordation and transfer tax exemptions for deeds retitling 92 parish properties across all eight wards. The parishes (some dating to the 18th/19th centuries) could not hold title historically; titles were held by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Starting in 2023, the Archdiocese of Washington began retitling to reflect parishes as true owners. The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) rejected supplemental deeds, requiring a lengthy exemption process.
  • The bill deems these deeds as supplemental, imposing no tax liability. The committee stated OTR's position is inconsistent with law and case law.
  • Unanimous approval.

• Bill 26-700 – Reservoir District Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2026 (Introduced by Councilmember Parker)

  • Amends the definition of