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City Council Moves to Clamp Down on Emergency Powers as Lengthy Lockdowns Spark Growing Concern

Official:Amending Chapter 6-200 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Preventive Medicine,” by imposing duration limitations on emergency control measures, requiring Council approval of emergency control measures in certain circumstances, and to make technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Oh

Introduced: December 3, 2020

: Committee on Public Health and Human Services

emergency preparednessgovernment public health

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2020–2023 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill amends Philadelphia's 'Preventive Medicine' chapter to limit how long emergency control measures can be in effect and requires City Council approval for certain emergency measures. The goal is to balance public health needs with government oversight.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Imposes duration limitations on emergency control measures: The bill limits the duration of emergency control measures, such as orders and regulations, to a specific time period (although the exact time period is not specified in the provided text).
Requires Council approval of emergency control measures in certain circumstances: The bill requires the City Council to approve emergency control measures in situations where the Mayor has suspended the requirements of Section 8-407 of the Charter. 3.