D.C. Code § 3-343.02
Unauthorized entry onto stadium playing field prohibited.
*NOTE: This section includes amendments by temporary legislation that will expire on March 14, 2027. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Past Permanent Version.*
- (a) Unless expressly authorized by the Washington Convention and Sports Authority or its duly authorized agent, no person shall at any time enter onto any portion of the playing field within the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
- (b) Unless expressly authorized by the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, the lessee or operator of the Baseball Stadium, or their duly authorized agents, no person shall at any time enter onto any portion of the playing field within the Baseball Stadium.
- (b-1) Unless expressly authorized by the operator of the Soccer Stadium or its duly authorized agents, no person shall at any time enter onto any portion of the playing field within the Soccer Stadium.
- (b-2) Unless expressly authorized by the operator of the Downtown Arena, or its duly authorized agents, no person shall at any time enter onto any portion of the playing surface within the Downtown Arena.".
- (b-3) Unless expressly authorized by the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, the lessee or operator of the Southeast Arena, or their duly authorized agents, no person shall at any time enter onto any portion of the playing surface within the Southeast Arena.
- (c) For the purposes of this section, the term "playing field" or "playing surface", as applicable, means the area encompassed by the seating facilities within the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the Baseball Stadium, the Soccer Stadium, the Downtown Arena, or the Southeast Arena, as such seating facilities may be arranged from time to time.
History
Nov. 3, 1977, D.C. Law 2-37, § 4b
as added July 20, 1996, D.C. Law 11-145, § 3, 43 DCR 2842
June 5, 2008, D.C. Law 17-169, § 2(d), 55 DCR 5183
Mar. 3, 2010, D.C. Law 18-111, § 2082(h)(2), 57 DCR 181
Mar. 11, 2015, D.C. Law 20-233, § 201(d), 62 DCR 438
Aug. 1, 2026, D.C. Law 26-154, § 2(b)
Applicability
Applicability of D.C. Law 20-233: Section 301 of D.C. Law 20-233 provided (1) that the act shall apply upon the date of inclusions of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan; (2) that the Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council of the certification; and (3) that the Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in the District of Columbia Register and that the date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the applicability of the act.
Section 7010 of D.C. Law 22-33 repealed § 301 of D.C. Law 20-233. Therefore the amendment to this section by D.C. Law 20-233 has been implemented.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 201(d) of the Soccer Stadium Development Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-557, Dec. 30, 2014, 62 DCR 448, 20 STAT 4467).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2082(h)(2) of Fiscal Year Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-260, January 4, 2010, 57 DCR 345).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2082(h)(2) of Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Support Second Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-207, October 15, 2009, 56 DCR 8234).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(d) of Ballpark Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-316, March 19, 2008, 55 DCR 3412).
See note to § 2-343.01.
For temporary (90 days) repeal of § 301 of D.C. Law 20-233, see § 7010 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-104, July 20, 2017, 64 DCR 7032).
For temporary (90 days) repeal of § 301 of D.C. Law 20-233, see § 7010 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-167, Oct. 24, 2017, 64 DCR 10802).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Arena Safety Conformity Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 (D.C. Act 26-291, Apr. 8, 2026, 73 DCR 6059).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Arena Safety Conformity Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 (D.C. Act 26-357, June 24, 2026, 0 DCR 0).
Effect of Amendments
The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 20-233 would have added (b-1); and would have substituted “the Baseball Stadium, or the Soccer Stadium” for “or the Baseball Stadium” in (c).
D.C. Law 18-111, in subsecs. (a) and (b), substituted “Washington Convention and Sports Authority” for “District of Columbia Sports and Entertainment Commission”.
D.C. Law 17-169 rewrote the section which had read as follows: “Unless expressly authorized by the District of Columbia Sports Commission or its duly authorized agent, no person shall at any time enter onto any portion of the playing field within the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. For the purposes of this section, the ‘playing field’ is that area encompassed by the seating facilities within the Stadium as such seating facilities may be arranged from time to time.”
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 2-343.2.
Temporary Legislation
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Arena Safety Conformity Temporary Amendment Act of 2026 (D.C. Law 26-154, Aug. 1, 2026, 73 DCR 8189).