Brief

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, seconded by Monica Rodriguez, introduced a motion to repeal LAMC Section 56.16. The Public Safety Committee approved the item in December 2025, and Council voted 14-0-1 on January 13, 2026, making the repeal final. The City Attorney submitted an additional report in July 2026 that was referred back to the Public Safety Committee, though the legislative action itself was completed.

Full summary

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield introduced this motion to wipe an obscure but broadly written law off the books. LAMC Section 56.16 banned playing ball, throwing a football, kicking a soccer ball, or discharging any projectile on any street, sidewalk, or public park not specifically designated for such activity — a prohibition carrying penalties of up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. In his motion, Blumenfield called it an uncommonly silly law, noting that the more serious activities it covered, such as firing weapons or shooting arrows, were already prohibited under other code sections, making the ball-play ban both redundant and absurdly overbroad. Under the existing law, a parent playing catch with a child on a residential sidewalk was technically committing a crime. The motion directed the City Attorney to draft an ordinance formally repealing Section 56.16. The file was referred to the Public Safety Committee, which received a community impact statement from the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council in September 2025 and approved the item at its December 10, 2025 meeting. Council voted 14-0-1 on January 13, 2026 to adopt the repeal, with action finalized the following day. Nearly six months after the Council vote, the City Attorney transmitted a draft repeal ordinance dated July 8, 2026, prepared by City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto's office and approved as to form and legality. The draft was simultaneously sent to the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Los Angeles Police Department under Council Rule 38, inviting any comments to be presented directly to Council when the matter is next considered. That report was referred to the Public Safety Committee on July 9, 2026, where it remains pending. The committee will need to act on the formal ordinance to complete the codified removal of Section 56.16 from the Municipal Code.

Activity (8)

• 2026-07-09 City Attorney document(s) referred to Public Safety Committee.
• 2026-07-08 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated July 8, 2026.
• 2026-01-14 Council action final.
• 2026-01-09 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 13, 2026.
• 2025-12-10 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
• 2025-12-05 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on December 10, 2025.
• 2025-09-23 Community Impact Statement submitted by Los Feliz Neighborhood Council.
• 2025-08-01 Motion referred to Public Safety Committee.

Documents (8)

• 2026-07-08 Report from City Attorney · report
• 2026-07-08 Attachment to Report dated 7-08-26 - Draft Ordinance · attachment
• 2026-01-14 Council Action · council_action
• 2026-01-13 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2025-12-10 Report from Public Safety Committee · report
• 2025-12-10 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2025-09-23 Community Impact Statement submitted by Los Feliz Neighborhood Council · cis
• 2025-08-01 Motion · motion

Council votes (1)

• 2026-01-13 Adopted — 14-0-1 · Regular