The resolution, titled the Clemency Board Waiver Authority Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025, addresses the need for the District of Columbia's Clemency Board to have the authority to waive the existing 5-year waiting period for applicants seeking a pardon. Established in 2018, the Clemency Board is responsible for recommending clemency to the President for individuals convicted of D.C. Code offenses. Currently, the Board is unable to grant waivers similar to those authorized by the Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney (DOJ-OPA), which has led to concerns that applicants who have received waivers from the DOJ-OPA will be deemed ineligible for recommendations from the Board.

The resolution seeks to amend the Clemency Board Establishment Act of 2018 to allow the Board to consider requests for waivers of the 5-year waiting period when the DOJ-OPA has already granted such waivers. This change is deemed urgent as it would prevent the potential ineligibility of several applications currently before the Board, which could negatively impact the clemency process for those applicants. The Council has determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency, necessitating the immediate adoption of the amendment after a single reading.