Since joining the Council in 2014, Councilmember Charles Allen has introduced legislation that solves big and small challenges for Ward 6 residents. Councilmember Allen is the Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. He also serves as a member of the Committee on Education, the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, the Committee on Business and Economic Development, and the Committee of the Whole.
- Related: Click here to view all pending legislation before the Council introduced by Councilmember Allen.
- Click here to visit the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety's webpage, which Councilmember Allen chairs.
Key Laws Passed Under Councilmember Allen's Leadership
Education
- Books from Birth - One of Councilmember Allen's first laws passed set up the Books From Birth Program, which partners with Imagination Library and DC Public Library to mail one book a month to registered households with a child under the age of 5. The program targets areas of the city with lower rates of literacy. The program has mailed more than 150,000 books to kids across the city - with nearly half of the city's eligible children participating in the program.
Co-intro: Public School Nurse Assignment & Pre-K Student Discipline, Youth Suicide Prevention and School Climate Act
Oversight: Councilmember Allen has taken on ensuring lead levels are monitored and safe in DC schools, ensuring at-risk dollars are reaching the classroom, and more.
Public Safety:
- Firearms Safety Omnibus Amendment act - Passed at the end of 2018, this bill included a number of laws to help reduce gun violence in the District of Columbia.
- Extreme Risk Protection Order, or Red Flag Law - Councilmember Allen wanted a "red flag law" suited to the District's unique circumstances to ensure it would help get a dangerous gun out of the hands of someone likely to do harm to others or themselves. FAQ here. CBS 9 Coverage of the bill here.
- Raising penalty for possessing an extended magazine
- Banning the use of bump stocks on firearms
- Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act - Overhaul of the landmark bill that seeks to help young people rehabilitate after committing an offense and avoid becoming a repeat offender.
- Private Security Camera Rebate Program - Learn more about this program here.
Co-intro: Rail Safety, Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery (comparative fault), Substance Abuse and Opioid Overdose Prevention, NEAR Act
Family and Senior Issues:
- Safe at Home Act - Establishes grant funding for cost of installing accessibility modifications at residential homes for persons with mobility impairments.
- Collaborative Reproduction Amendment Act of 2015 - Modernizes and updates DC's surrogacy laws, taking DC from a jurisdiction with some of the most outdated laws to one with some of the most forward-thinking. (Washington Post)
- Domestic Partnership Termination Recognition Amendment Act
Co-intro: Access to Contraceptives, home purchase assistance program, minimum wage and universal paid leave (the last two lead into our work supporting small business too), Healthy Hearts of Babies
Small Business:
- Made in DC - Created the Made In DC Program to promote products and small businesses working in DC and unify them under a brand easy for consumers to identify. The program has been so successful a store recently announced it would open and only carry products made in DC!
- Secondhand Sales
Public Health
- Maternal Mortality Review Committee
The Environment
- Commission Climate Change and Resiliency - Established a new commission in the District focused solely on preparing the District for a changing climate and recommending ways to mitigate the worst effects
Good Government
- Fair Elections Act - Created the District's first public campaign financing program that banned corporate and PAC donations, limited the donation from residents, and provides a 5 to 1 match to return political campaign's focus where it belongs: with the residents.
- Campaign Finance Reform Amendment Act - Omnibus overhaul and strengthening of campaign finance laws, including banning political contributions by corporations doing business with the District government, limiting (Washington Post)
- Ballot Access Modernization - Allows candidates for office or organizers for petitions to collect signatures via mobile or tablet devices, syncing with Board of Elections databases.
- Automatic Voter Registration - Creates an opt-in for eligible voters who are getting an ID or driver's license at the DC DMV and coordinates with Board of Elections.
DC Community Life:
- Tree Canopy Protection Amendment - Makes changes to update protected designations for trees in the District.
- End Taxation Without Representation License Plates - Adds the word "End" to the classic DC license plate phrase.
- Snow removal - Allows the Mayor to enter into a business agreement with a Business Improvement District (BID) or DC Main Street Program during a declared snow emergency.
- Commemorative Flags Program - DC residents can now purchase a flag that has flown at their state capitol building. Available here through the Council's Office of the Secretary.
- Bicycle Awareness License Plates
