Council Passes Rodent Control Act
The REMY Act funds rat-proof trash bins in business districts and restricts certain rodenticides without special training.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Remote Work
Live Poll
Do you think rat problems in your neighborhood are getting better or worse?
The D.C. Council passed the Rodent Education and Management Yields Results Amendment Act on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The legislation restricts use of certain rodenticides without special training and certification.
Why it matters
Council member Christina Henderson said easy access to food keeps rats going more than anything else, and that residents turning to pesticides alone are not immediately effective. The law pairs enforcement with trash-reduction funding to address the root cause in Washington's business districts.
The legislation is estimated to cost about $3 million over the next several years, with grants going to business improvement districts and the DC Main Streets nonprofit. Autopsy samples found rodenticide residue in 85 of 100 animals, a figure the council cited as evidence of wider exposure.
The players
Christina Henderson
Member of the D.C. Council who sponsored the REMY Act and has framed rodent control around reducing food access.
Janeese Lewis George
Mayor-elect of Washington, D.C., who co-led the legislation and plans to review the Bowser administration's rat birth control pilot.
The details
The REMY Act launches a pilot program to fund rat-proof trash bins or dumpsters in business districts and requires a rat abatement plan for private properties with infestations. Council member Christina Henderson sponsored the bill, which Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George co-led, and it strengthens D.C. Health enforcement against private properties.
Timeline
Earlier this year: the Bowser administration launched a rat birth control pilot.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026: the D.C. Council passed the REMY Act.
Over the next several years: the legislation is expected to cost about $3 million.
Market Landscape
The REMY Act builds on the Bowser administration's rat birth control pilot launched earlier this year, adding trash-bin funding and enforcement to the city's rodent strategy. Lewis George plans to meet with administration officials to examine that pilot and the trash reduction efforts.
Business owners in D.C. improvement districts may gain access to grant funding for rat-proof trash bins or dumpsters. Private property owners with infestations will face required rat abatement plans under stronger D.C. Health enforcement.
The takeaway
Keeping food and trash inaccessible is central to controlling rats, so residents and businesses can reduce infestations before pesticides are needed. Preventive habits matter as much as enforcement.
Further reading
For related workplace coverage, explore Remote Work stories on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Washington Post.
Live Poll
Do you think rat problems in your neighborhood are getting better or worse?
