For Immediate Release: Friday, June 4, 2021
Ezechiel’s Law will require landlords and apartment building owners to install and maintain window guards in apartments with children ages 10 and under
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 4, 2021—Council President Tom Hucker and County Executive Marc Elrich will be joined by Alvine Nguemezi, mother of Ezechiel Nguemezi, and housing and renter advocates on Tuesday, June 8, at 9 a.m. for a bill signing ceremony for Bill 51-20 - Landlord-Tenant Relations – Window Guards, also known as Ezechiel’s Law.
Spearheaded by Council President Hucker, the bill comes in response to several incidents of young children enduring serious injuries from window falls in Montgomery County. The bill was introduced in December 2020, two months after 2-year-old Ezechiel Nguemezi died after falling from an apartment window in Takoma Park.
According to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, each year in the United States, 15 to 20 children under the age of 11 die and nearly 15,000 are injured because of falls from windows.
Council President Hucker and County Executive Elrich will give remarks before formally signing the bill into law. Alvine Nguemezi will share her personal testimony and other speakers will share their support for the bill.
The legislation will enhance housing safety for tenants and families in the County by requiring landlords to add window guards to certain multifamily residential dwelling units. The Council unanimously passed Ezechiel’s Law in April 2021 and it will go into effect January 1, 2022. More information can be found here.
Speakers include:
Council President Tom Hucker
County Executive Marc Elrich
Alvine Nguemezi
Ashanti Martinez, CASA
Matt Losak, Renters Alliance
Councilmember Jarrett Smith, City of Takoma Park
The ceremony will take place at the Executive Office Building Lobby located at 101 Monroe St. Rockville, MD 20850. Parking information and directions available here.
Members of the media are welcome and must RSVP to Council President Hucker’s Communications Director Genevieve Kurtz at Genevieve.Kurtz@montgomerycountymd.gov if they plan to join.
The public can watch the ceremony on the Council’s Facebook page.
Release ID: 21-242