Washington DC — Today, the Council for the District of Columbia voted to advance Councilmember Pinto’s Peace DC Omnibus bill and critical parts of her Peace DC plan at first reading that she first introduced in March. These measures will help continue to drive down crime and promote sustainable peace in all our communities.
Councilmember Pinto’s three bills that passed in the first vote in the full DC Council include:
1. “Peace DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2025”
2. “Safe Passage Training and School Engagement Amendment Act of 2025”
3. “Residential Tranquility Amendment Act of 2025”
“Across the District, we continue to hear calls to make our communities safer and more peaceful,” said Councilmember Pinto. “Our public safety ecosystem is strengthened by these measures when taken together as they work to empower youth and strengthen neighborhood harmony, prevent violence, support our public safety workforce, and reduce recidivism. The Council must continue to build on the progress we have made for greater safety and greater peace.”
The Peace DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2025 will:
· make permanent the rebuttable presumption for pretrial detention when defendants are charged with crimes of violence; without the extension, violent crimes like first degree sexual abuse (rape), child sexual abuse, aggravated assault, first degree child cruelty, kidnapping, manslaughter, and carjacking will no longer have a rebuttable presumption to be held before trial.
· streamline educational credit requirements for the Metropolitan Police Department to bolster the force.
· ensure that families of Fire & Emergency Medical Services personnel who die due to a performance-of-duty injury or illnesses are eligible for full survivor benefits; and
· close a gap in the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022 to ensure that individuals can seal their criminal records as the underlying legislation intended and truly get a second chance at housing, gainful employment, and other opportunities in our community.
The Safe Passage Training and School Engagement Amendment Act of 2025 will improve communication and coordination between schools and Safe Passage Ambassadors by requiring bi-annual meetings between the Safe Passage Ambassadors and relevant schools. Additionally, the bill would improve the effectiveness of the Safe Passage program by enhancing, standardizing, and universalizing training for Safe Passage Ambassadors.
The Residential Tranquility Amendment Act of 2025 will prohibit using sound amplifying devices to target a residence for purposes of a demonstration in a residential zone between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.; prohibit using unattended sound amplifying devices while targeting a residence for purposes of a demonstration; and prohibit launching or throwing an object onto the residential property of another with the intent to cause fear, intimidate, or harass against any person living or working at that residence. The introduced bill is largely the same as the emergency and temporary legislation that was passed by the Council in the fall of 2024, with the addition that the introduced version includes provisions prohibiting the use of unattended amplified sound amplifying devices used to target a residence for purposes of a demonstration.
“All of our residents, workers, and visitors deserve to live in safe neighborhoods, and we must continue to take meaningful and actionable steps forward to invest in sustainable peace and address the public safety concerns we face today,” said Councilmember Pinto.
The second and final vote will be held during the legislative meeting on Tuesday, July 1.