Legislative Priorities & Laws Passed

Since joining the Council in 2015, Councilmember Charles Allen has introduced legislation that solves big and small challenges for the District and Ward 6. Below is a list of key legislative priorities and laws passed with Councilmember Allen's efforts.

As of 2023, Councilmember Allen is the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment. For Council Period 25, he serves as a member of the following Council committees:

• Committee of the Whole 
• Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety
• Committee on Health
• Committee on Business and Economic Development

Click here to view pending legislation introduced by Councilmember Allen during the current Council Period.

Passed Legislation from Charles Allen

The following laws were introduced and led by Councilmember Allen. This list does not include his support for bills and laws introduced by other members of the Council, nor is it every law he has introduced. 

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. It 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. As of May 2019, more than 1.9 million books had been mailed to kids in DC!

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. 
  • Ghost Guns Prohibition 
  • Extreme Risk Protection Order, or Red Flag Law: Councilmember Allen wanted a "red flag law" to 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 the penalty for possessing an extended magazine
  • Banning the use of bump stocks on firearms 
• Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act: An overhaul of the landmark bill that seeks to help young people rehabilitate after committing an offense and avoid becoming a repeat offender. Read the Washington Post editorial about the law. 
• Private Security Camera Rebate Program: Creates a rebate for homes to install security cameras. Learn more about this program here. 
• Second Look Amendment Act: Allows anyone convicted of a crime prior to their 25th birthday to appeal to a judge for re-sentencing after having served a minimum of 15 years. When deciding to modify a sentence, judges may consider a wide range of factors including behavior during incarceration, efforts at rehabilitation, statements from prosecution and victims or victims' families, and more. The law builds on previous re-sentencing laws in place for young people, including the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act.

Good Government

• Fair Elections Act: Created the District's public financing program for political candidates seeking local office including Mayor, Council Chair, Councilmember, and Attorney General.  

Expanding Access to the Ballot

• Automatic Voter Registration: Created a way for DC residents to register and update their information with the Board of Elections while at the DMV. 
• Ballot Access Modernization Act: Required the creation of digital ways to collect signatures, access voter information, and more.

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

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! 

Creating and Protecting More Affordable Housing

• Housing Conversion and Eviction Clarification Amendment Act of 2019

Public Health 

• Maternal Mortality Review Committee Establishment Act: Created a review panel of experts working under the guidance of DC's Chief Medical Examiner to examine any and all deaths related to pregnancy and the first year of maternity, with a goal of advising policymakers on needed changes to lower the District's maternal mortality rate, which is especially high among Black and Brown mothers.

The Environment & Reducing Climate Change's Impact

• 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

Transportation for a 21st Century City

• Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Act: A bold effort forward to make our streets safer for all users and create a blueprint for a city that prioritizes multiple ways of getting around the District. Read more in the Washington Post.
• Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act

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.