Arena Safety Conformity Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

26th Council Period (2025-2026) Introduced by Brooke Pinto

Adds Downtown and Southeast Arenas to prohibited on-playing-surface safety rules to prevent gaps during the emergency-to-temporary act transition.

Resolution R26-0402, Effective from Jun 02, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 008385

Overview

PR 26-0735, the Arena Safety Conformity Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026, is a District of Columbia Council resolution introduced by Councilmember Brooke Pinto. Its purpose is to declare an emergency related to congressional review and to ensure continuity of the District’s arena safety rules during a transitional period between two existing safety acts addressing unauthorized entry onto playing surfaces at arenas.

Purpose and Intent

Declares the existence of an emergency requiring congressional review in order to amend existing law to extend and align safety provisions for arena playing surfaces.

Specifically aims to include the Downtown Arena and the Southeast Arena within the prohibited-onto-playing-surface provisions that currently apply to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and the District of Columbia National Guard Armory Public Safety Act of 1977.

Prevents a gap in legal coverage during the transition from an emergency act to a temporary act by ensuring continued enforceability of arena-safety prohibitions.

Key Provisions

Adds the Downtown Arena and the Southeast Arena to the prohibition on unauthorized entry onto a playing surface. This harmonizes safety requirements across major DC venues.

Acknowledges and bridges timing gaps between:

The Arena Safety Conformity Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 (effective April 8, 2026; expired July 7, 2026).
The Arena Safety Conformity Temporary Amendment Act of 2026 (passed on May 5, 2026; awaiting a projected law date).

The resolution itself is a congressional review emergency, allowing adoption after a single reading due to emergency circumstances.

Affected Parties and Impacts

Venues: Downtown Arena (DC) and Southeast Arena would be subject to the same unauthorized-onto-playing-surface prohibitions currently applied to RFK Stadium and the DC National Guard Armory.

Public safety and event security: Ensures consistent enforcement, potentially impacting venue staff, security personnel, event organizers, and attendees by maintaining strict access controls to playing surfaces.

Legal/legislative process: Creates a temporary, emergency legal alignment to prevent gaps in safety rules during the transition between emergency and temporary acts.

Procedural and Timeline Details

Emergency status recognized to ensure continuous enforceability during a transition period between the two related safety acts.

Timeline references:

Emergency Act of 2026: enacted March 31, 2026; effective April 8, 2026; expiration July 7, 2026.
Temporary Act of 2026: passed May 5, 2026 (Enrolled version of Bill 26-635); no projected law date yet.

The resolution states it takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Status: Introduced May 28, 2026; retained by the Council June 2, 2026; co-sponsored by Councilmember Brooke Pinto.

Summary

PR 26-0735 is a targeted emergency measure to incorporate the Downtown Arena and Southeast Arena into the District’s prohibited-on-a-playing-surface safety rule, aligning them with existing protections at RFK Stadium and the DC National Guard Armory. It is designed to prevent a regulatory lapse during the transition from an emergency act to a temporary act addressing arena safety, taking effect immediately and applicable for the emergency period under congressional review.

Bill