Does anyone know when the rule about remaining seated for 30 minutes when flying into DCA was done away with?

It's not my home airport but I use it maybe 7-8 times a year. I was surprised last night when a crew on a CVG-DCA flight mentioned not once but twice that "since we're flying into Reagan National everyone will have to be seated for the last 30 minutes of the flight and we will be closing access to the forward lavatory during that time."

Leaving aside the logic of "if everyone has to be seated, shouldn't access to BOTH lavs be a non-issue?", I was just surprised at the announcement.

Hasn't it been 3-4 years since the 30-minute rule at DCA was done away with? Longer?