Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act
This bill, the Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act, would reverse two changes made in 2022 to District of Columbia police governance. First, it would restore the right of DC law enforcement personnel to negotiate disciplinary matters through collective bargaining by striking the prohibition previously in Section 1708 of the DC Merit Personnel Act. Second, it would repeal Subtitle M of Title I of the 2022 Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act, thereby restoring the prior statute of limitations for claims against Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) members and civilian employees. In short, the bill rolls back two 2022 reforms to reestablish pre-2022 rights and time limits for disciplinary processes and related claims. It has passed the House and is referred to the Senate committee for consideration.
Key Points
- 1Restores collective bargaining rights on disciplinary matters for DC law enforcement officers by striking subsection (c) of Section 1708 of the DC Government Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978.
- 2Repeals Subtitle M of Title I of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, returning the statute of limitations for disciplinary claims against MPD members and civilian employees to its pre-2022 status.
- 3Effectively reverses certain 2022 changes, restoring what was in place prior to those amendments.
- 4Applies to the District of Columbia’s law enforcement personnel (sworn officers) and potentially to MPD civilian employees, within the scope of DC local law as amended by federal action.
- 5Status: Introduced in the 119th Congress, passed the House (June 10, 2025) and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (as of June 11, 2025).