Legislation & Advocacy Hub

Our policy and political advocacy work is just one of the ways we advance civil liberties and civil rights in the District. We engage in the legislative process by testifying on bills before the D.C. Council, working in coalition with community partners and impacted communities, and conducting research to further our understanding of the issues most impacting D.C. residents.

We aim to support bills and initiatives that strengthen District residents’ Constitutional rights and civil liberties, and defeat bills that threaten them. Please use the tools and resources below to engage in our advocacy efforts!

Resources and Tools

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Feb 27, 2023

ACLU-DC Testifies at Performance Oversight Hearing for the Metropolitan Police Department

The Council must take bold actions to combat the recent narratives around crime in the District and continue towards a path that will actually make D.C. communities feel and be safer.

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Dec 6, 2022

Letter to the D.C. Council Regarding the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act

Improving public safety in the District involves restricting harmful police practices, creating more transparency around police misconduct, and holding police accountable for their misconduct.

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Dec 5, 2022

Letter to the D.C. Council Regarding the Anti-SLAPP Amendment Act

"We oppose this bill. As we explain below, we think it is an outrageous attempt to shield potential government misconduct from the legal rules that apply to everyone else."

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Nov 26, 2022

Letter to Chairman Phil Mendelson Regarding the Street Vending Decrminalization Amendment Act

In a letter to the Chairmain of the D.C. Council, Executive Director Monica Hopkins urges the Council to schedule and hold a mark-up on the Street Vending Discrimination Amendment Act, creating a system that...

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Nov 16, 2022

ACLU-DC Testimony before the D.C. Council on the Street Vending Decriminalization Amendment Act and the Sidewalk Vending Zones Amendment Act

The ACLU-DC supports these two bills, and further encourages the decriminalization of unlicensed street vending and reducing police interactions with street vendors—ensuring that vendors can feel safe while...

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Oct 20, 2022

ACLU-DC Testifies on The Eliminating Restrictive and Segregated Enclosures (“ERASE”) Solitary Confinement Act

ACLU-D.C. is committed to ending the practice of solitary confinement, which demands confronting inequities in the criminal justice system and the racial bias driving them.

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