March 14, 2025
Mr. Garbarino (for himself and Mr. Stauber) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
To restore the right to negotiate matters pertaining to the discipline of law enforcement officers of the District of Columbia through collective bargaining, to restore the statute of limitations for bringing disciplinary cases against members or civilian employees of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings; purpose
(a) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
As of September 25, 2023, Washington, DC had recorded 24,996 crimes committed within the city limits, up 30 percent or almost 5,400 crimes from the same date in 2022.
(2)
As of September 25, 2023, 197 homicides had been committed in Washington, DC, up 29 percent from the same date in 2022 and nearly twice the total number of homicides in 2012.
(3)
As of September 25, 2023, violent crime incidents in Washington, DC are up over 37 percent from the same time in 2022, including 120 reports of sexual abuse (up 1 percent) and 2,545 reports of robberies (up 65 percent).
(4)
As of September 25, 2023, there have been 5,262 reports of motor vehicle thefts in Washington, DC, up 107 percent from the same date in 2022.
(5)
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia has lost over 1,200 members since 2020. The total number of members is down 478 since 2020 and the staffing levels at the Department are the lowest they have been in over 50 years.
(b) Purpose
It is the purpose of this Act to combat the rise in violent crime in our Nation’s Capital by eliminating policies which place law enforcement personnel of the District of Columbia at risk and discourage them from serving, ensuring that such personnel will be treated equitably and fairly and the recruitment and retention of such personnel shall be increased.
Sec. 3. Restoration of equitable and fair treatment of law enforcement personnel of District of Columbia
(a) Restoration of right To negotiate matters pertaining to discipline of District of Columbia law enforcement officers through collective bargaining
Section 1708 of the District of Columbia Government Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978 (sec. 1–617.08, D.C. Official Code), as amended by section 116(b) of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24–345), is amended by striking subsection (c).
(b) Restoration of statute of limitations for claims against members or civilian employees of Metropolitan Police Department
Subtitle M of title I of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24–345) is repealed, and any provision of law amended or repealed by such subtitle is restored or revived as if such subtitle had not been enacted into law.