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B 26-0712

Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Technical Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

26th Council Period (2025-2026) Introduced by Charles Allen

Expands police oversight and empowers the Office of Police Complaints to initiate misconduct investigations, while enlarging the Police Complaints Board and clarifying protections

Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 21, 2026
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Bill Summary · B 26-0712

Summary of Bill: Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Technical Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 (B 26-0712)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill, introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen, is an emergency framework intended to expand and adjust the District of Columbia’s policing oversight and victim-age definitions.
  • It aims to:
    • Expand the membership and structure of the Police Complaints Board.
    • Authorize the Office of Police Complaints’ Executive Director to initiate complaints on their own when they uncover evidence of abuse or misuse of police power not alleged in the original complaint, including failures to intervene or report misconduct.
    • Clarify which provisions apply to victims under 18 years of age in certain statutory sections.
  • The act is labeled as an emergency measure with a limited effective period (up to 90 days) unless extended or replaced by later legislation.

Key provisions and changes

1) Office of Citizen Complaint Review Establishment Act of 1998
- Amendment to Section 4: Adds MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) as a defined entity.
- Amendment to Section 5(a):
- Replaces the existing structure describing a Police Complaints Board with a new board makeup.
- New Board composition: 9 members total, including one member from each Ward (DC has 8 wards) and one at-large member.
- Under the amendment, none of the Board members shall be affiliated with any law enforcement agency after the term of the current MPD member expires.
- Amendment to Section 8 (new subsection g-1):
- Empowers the Executive Director to initiate a complaint if they discover evidence of abuse or misuse not alleged in the original complaint.
- Allows the Executive Director to pursue actions listed in subsections (g)(2)–(g)(6) of that section.
- Specifies authority includes:
- Intervening when an MPD officer commits or observes excessive force or misconduct.
- Requiring or reporting misconduct by other officers to supervisors in accordance with MPD directives (e.g., General Order 901.07 and MPD General Order 201.26, or successors).
- The enactment clarifies that the authority to act can include failure to intervene or report violations by fellow officers.

2) Applicability to victims under 18
- Chapter 3, Title 14 (DC Official Code) amendments:
- Several subparagraphs in sections 14-310, 14-311, and 14-312 are amended to insert language specifying “a victim under 18 years of age” or “a sexual assault victim under 18 years of age.”
- These changes adjust who is covered or described in provisions related to certain investigative or procedural aspects, ensuring protections or considerations explicitly apply to juvenile victims when referencing victims in those sections.

3) Expiration and applicability
- Section 4(a): The emergency act provisions are tied to the applicability date of other major reforms (Section 105 of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, with a specified date).
- Section 4(b): The juvenile-related amendments expire upon the applicability date of the LEARNS-related amendments (Bill 26-526, 2026).
- This structuring suggests the act is intended to be temporary, with sunset aligned to other major reform implementations.

4) Fiscal impact and effective date
- The act adopts the Budget Director’s fiscal impact statement as its own.
- Effective date: After mayoral approval (or Council override of a mayoral veto). The act lasts up to 90 days as an emergency measure.

Who/what is affected

  • Metropolitan Police Department (MPD): Changes to reporting, intervention responsibilities, and oversight authority; new obligations to engage in investigations when evidence of misconduct is found by the Office of Police Complaints.
  • Office of Police Complaints / Office of Citizen Complaint Review: Expanded authority to initiate complaints independently when new misconduct evidence is discovered; broader powers to take actions against officers.
  • Police Complaints Board: Expanded membership from 5 (with limited MPD representation) to 9 members, with the requirement that no MPD affiliation remains after current MPD member’s term ends. Ward-based and at-large representation.
  • Victims and witnesses: Explicitly defined protections and procedural terms for victims under 18 years of age in certain provisions, potentially broadening or clarifying protections in juvenile cases and sexual assault contexts.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Emergency status: The act is an emergency measure with a maximum 90-day effect, subject to mayoral approval and potential Council override.
  • Sunset alignment: Provisions intended to expire when corresponding major reform acts (LEARNS and the 2022 policing reform) become applicable.
  • Ongoing governance: The expanded Police Complaints Board and the Executive Director’s enhanced complaint-initiating authority are intended to improve accountability and faster responsive action on potential police misconduct.

If you’d like, I can provide a section-by-section paraphrase of the exact statutory amendments or a quick comparison to the current baseline statutes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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