Schedule of Fines Rulemaking Approval and Authority Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

26th Council Period (2025-2026) Introduced by Phil Mendelson

Empowers emergency rulemaking to clarify and adjust speeding fines, ensuring clearer penalties and stronger enforcement for public safety.

Retained by the Council with comments from the Committee on Transportation and the Environment

Overview

Bill: PR 26-0775 | Schedule of Fines Rulemaking Approval and Authority Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

Jurisdiction: District of Columbia

Date introduced: July 8, 2026

Sponsor: Chairman Phil Mendelson (Co-sponsor: Mendelson)

Purpose: To authorize emergency approval of rules that clarify the monetary penalties (fines) for speeding, ensuring effective traffic law enforcement and public safety.

Main Purpose and Intent

The bill seeks emergency Council action to approve proposed rulemaking by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) that would amend the schedule of fines for speeding.

The intent is to clarify the speed at which each monetary penalty applies, reducing ambiguity in enforcement and ensuring timely, consistent penalties.

Key Provisions

Establishes an emergency declaration authorizing the Council to approve rules on an emergency basis under the District of Columbia Traffic Adjudication Act.

Directs that the proposed rulemaking amends the schedule of fines under Section 105(a)(1) of the Act (DC Law 2-104; DC Official Code § 50-2301.05(a)(1)).

States that the Director of DDOT issued proposed rules to amend the fines schedule to clarify the intended speeds for speeding penalties.

Declares that immediate Council approval and statutory emergency authorization are necessary to preserve public safety and welfare due to the importance of effective enforcement in reducing speeding-related deaths and serious injuries.

Affected Parties and Impacts

Affected entities: Drivers and violators subject to speeding fines; DDOT as the issuing/administrative agency; the DC criminal/traffic adjudication system.

Impact: Clarified speeding fines would provide clearer penalties, potentially affecting:

Consistency and predictability of fines for speeding offenses
Enforcement efficiency for law enforcement and adjudication
Public safety by reinforcing deterrence against speeding

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Emergency status: The resolution designates the rulemaking as an emergency matter, allowing approval after a single reading.

Effective date: The resolution itself takes effect immediately.

Action history:

Introduced: July 8, 2026
Retained by Council with comments: July 14, 2026

Statutory authority: Relies on the Council’s power to approve emergency rulemaking under the DC Traffic Adjudication Act.

Practical Considerations

The bill does not itself change fines; it enables emergency approval of DDOT’s proposed rulemaking that would adjust the interpretation/application of speeding fines.

If enacted, the rules would be in force under emergency authority, pending standard legislative review or later formal adoption as required by law.

The emphasis is on public safety through clearer, more enforceable speeding penalties.