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COUNCIL PASSES IMMIGRATION-RELATED LEGISLATION
Aiming to safeguard community members and limit the impact of federal immigration enforcement in the county, the Prince George’s County Council passed a legislative package, containing four bills and two resolutions, on Tuesday, April 7. Following the meeting, Chair Krystal Oriadha (District 7), Vice Chair Olson (District 3), and several Council Members held a bill signing ceremony alongside advocates from CASA. Most of the bills are emergency legislation, meaning they take effect immediately.
The bills and resolutions signed by the Chair include:
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CB-5-2026: Proposed by Council Member Tom Dernoga (District 1) and Chair Oriadha, this legislation bans future employment at a county public safety agency for anyone employed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after October 1, 2025.
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CB-6-2026: Proposed by Chair Oriadha and Vice Chair Olson, this emergency legislation limits the use of county property for immigration enforcement activities and bans federal immigration agents from entering county facilities unless there is a valid warrant or extenuating circumstances.
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CB-7-2026: Proposed by Chair Oriadha and Vice Chair Olson, this emergency legislation directs Prince George’s County Police to respond to immigration enforcement activity and verify and record the names, badge numbers, and agencies of federal agents on scene.
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CB-8-2026: Proposed by Chair Oriadha, Vice Chair Olson, and Council Member Wanika Fisher (District 2), this emergency legislation bans law enforcement officers and agents from wearing face coverings in public, except for protective equipment, including gas masks or HAZMAT gear.
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CR-8-2026: Proposed by Chair Oriadha and Vice Chair Olson, this resolution urges the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Prince George’s County Board of Education, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, and Prince George’s Community College to prohibit immigration enforcement on their property.
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CR-9-2026: Proposed by Council Member Fisher and Chair Oriadha, this resolution calls on the county to establish a partnership with a non-profit organization to develop a database of county residents who are potentially detained in ICE custody.
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COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY RECOMMENDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
Seeking to streamline and accelerate economic development in Prince George’s County, Chair Krystal Oriadha (District 7) introduced a legislative package, containing four bills and one resolution, aiming to place increased emphasis on supporting local, minority-owned businesses and bringing high-quality, well-intentioned shops and restaurants to neighborhoods that currently lack them. She held a press conference to discuss the package on Tuesday, April 7, prior to the Committee of the Whole’s favorable recommendation of the four bills. The resolution was adopted by the Council on March 17.
The legislative package includes the following:
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CR-14-2026: Streamlining Development Review Workgroup -- A resolution, adopted on March 17, establishing the Prince George’s County Streamlining Development Review Workgroup. The workgroup will be tasked with recommending policies and practices to the County Council and County Executive to improve efficiency, reduce redundancy, and implement best practices in the land development review process without reducing public input.
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CB-26-2026: Locally Owned and Operated Business Certification – Establishes a locally owned and operated business certification, which provides a 5% advantage when submitting contract bids and proposals to the county.
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CB-27-2026: Fine Dining Incentive Act of 2026 – Establishes the Prince George’s County Fine Dining Incentive Program, which will require at least 10% of the county’s Economic Development Incentive Fund to be used to attract fine dining restaurants to open or expand in Prince George’s County. At least 70% of that funding would be required to be spent on attracting fine dining restaurants to inside the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County.
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CB-28-2026: Local Diverse Supplier Prime Contractor Program – Establishes that 20% of all county government construction contracts be awarded to Locally Owned and Operated Businesses or County-Based Minority Businesses.
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CB-29-2026: Dine-in Restaurant Permitting Incentive Act of 2026 – Establishes a 50% discount in permitting fees for sit-down restaurants to stimulate restaurant growth in Prince George’s County.
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COUNCIL MEETS WITH COMMISSION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, INTRODUCES RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ACCESSIBILITY TASK FORCE
Prior to the Council Meeting on Tuesday, April 7, Council Members met with members of the county’s Commission for Individuals with Disabilities to discuss ways the county and the Council can improve accessibility options for digital communications and in-person meetings or events. It was a productive dialogue highlighting room for improvement, to which Chair Krystal Oriadha (District 7) told the Commission she is committed.
At the Council meeting that followed, Council Member Wala Blegay (At-Large) introduced a resolution, CR‑24‑2026, aiming to create the Prince George’s County Accessibility Task Force for the Blind and Deaf. The 13-member task force would consist of representatives from county agencies, Prince George’s County Public Schools, nonprofits, members of the blind and deaf communities, and more, working to identify accessibility barriers and develop recommendations to improve access for blind, low vision, deaf, and hard of hearing residents in Prince George’s County.
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BILL TO BOOST VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES RECEIVES FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION
Legislation proposed by Council Members Shayla Adams-Stafford (District 5) and Tim Adams (District 4) aiming to support veteran-owned businesses in Prince George’s County, CB-24-2026, received a favorable recommendation from the Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee on Thursday, April 9. The bill seeks to establish the Veteran Owned Business Enterprise Opportunities Program. Under the program, 2% of county small business procurement contracts would be set aside for certified Veteran Business Enterprises. The county would be required to award at least 15% of all eligible procurement contracts to these veteran-owned businesses each year, starting in year three of the program. In year one, the requirement would be 8% and year two would be 12%. Additionally, the county’s Office of Procurement would be required to display the county’s progress toward that goal on a public dashboard.
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“This is legislation that could open doors for hundreds of Prince Georgians. Prince George’s County has one of the highest populations of veterans in the state,” said Council Member Adams-Stafford. “With this legislation, we have the opportunity to pour back into this community that has given so much to us.”
"What we’re trying to push forward here is an opportunity to make sure that they can pursue their dreams after having served and given their best to our nation,” added Council Member Adams. “There is no stronger work ethic or innovation than from veterans. I wholeheartedly push this because it’s not just good for our veterans. It’s good for all of us.”
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EARLY CONNECTIONS
  This month, Council Chair Krystal Oriadha and County Executive Aisha Braveboy launched the Early Connections campaign, connecting families in Prince George’s County with early autism screening, resources, and care. The Early Connections campaign will consist of three in-person resource fairs, hosted throughout April at libraries across the county, with a focus on families with children up to age 5. Parents will be able to have individualized conversations with experts and schedule appointments for further screening, if deemed necessary by doctors on site. Families will also be able to connect directly with various autism care organizations in the county, state, or region, including Child Resource Connect and V.O.I.C.E for Neurodiversity.
Upcoming Resource Fairs:
- Wednesday, April 15 from 4-7 PM at Spauldings Branch Library
- Wednesday, April 22 from 4-7 PM at Hyattsville Branch Library
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COUNTY COUNCIL'S FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS
The Prince George's County Council, through its committee structure, completes a review of the Proposed Operating and Proposed Capital Budget and Program by mid-May. In keeping with the County Charter, the Council must approve and enact the Annual Budget and Appropriations Ordinance on or before June 1.
During April and May, County Council committees and staff review the Proposed Operating Budget and Proposed Capital Budget and Program, with the Office of Management and Budget, and departmental and agency staff representatives. The County Council is required to hold two public hearings on the Proposed FY 2027 Operating Budget and Proposed Capital Budget and Program.
Residents are invited to attend the Prince George's County Council for its annual series of public hearings on the Proposed FY 2027 Operating Budget and Proposed Capital Budget and Program this April and May.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION - FY 2027 COUNTY COUNCIL NON-DEPARTMENTAL GRANTS PROGRAM
 Nonprofit organizations seeking County Council consideration of being tentatively designated to receive FY 2027 Non-Departmental grant funds must complete a Letter of Consideration within the Council's Grants Management System (GMS). GMS may be accessed via this link: https://pgccouncilgms.us/pages/public. All organizations must register for a GMS login using the link above, prior to gaining access for Letter of Consideration submission.
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April 14 - County Council - 1:30 PM - Proclamations
April 14 - County Council - 2:00 PM - DETAILS
April 14 - Sitting as the Committee of the Whole - 2:30 PM - DETAILS
April 15 - Task Forces-Workgroups - 5:30 PM - DETAILS
April 16 - PHED Committee - 10:00 AM - DETAILS
April 16 - GOFP Committee - 1:30 PM - DETAILS
Archived Meetings can be viewed on Council Livestream page.
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