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B26-0315 • 2025

Strengthening Probate Administration Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Strengthening Probate Administration Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2025-08-08
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official metadata lists an expiration date of October 30, 2025, while Section 5 states a general rule that emergency acts remain in effect for no longer than 90 days. The specific expiration date provided in the bill summary is used as it reflects the final enacted status.

Strengthening Probate Administration Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This law updates rules for simplified estate cases in Washington, D.C., by changing the definition of abbreviated probate and allowing the Register of Wills to ask a judge to decide on appointing representatives or admitting wills when more proof is needed.

What This Bill Does

  • Updates the legal definition of an 'abbreviated probate proceeding' as a process to prove a will, determine if someone died without one (intestacy), and appoint a personal representative.
  • Allows the Register of Wills to refer cases to the Court when additional proof is required regarding whether to appoint personal representatives or admit a will to probate.
  • Removes language about admitting wills in transfers done by affidavit from Section 20-361(a)(4).
  • Clarifies that the Strengthening Probate Administration Amendment Act of 2024 applies only to estates where the person died on or after March 21, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Register of Wills and judges handling estate cases in Washington, D.C.
  • Personal representatives appointed for estates under abbreviated probate proceedings
  • People filing petitions to open simplified (abbreviated) probate proceedings

Terms To Know

Abbreviated Probate Proceeding
A court process used to prove a will, decide if someone died without one, and appoint a personal representative.
Personal Representative
The person appointed by the Court or Register of Wills to manage an estate after someone dies.
Register of Wills
An official office in Washington, D.C., that handles documents related to wills and estates alongside the Court.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law is an emergency act and remains in effect for no longer than 90 days after approval.
  • The text does not specify how long the Court has to decide on cases referred by the Register of Wills.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0124 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008600, Expires on Oct 30, 2025

  2. 2025-08-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0124, Expires on Oct 30, 2025

  3. 2025-08-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2025-07-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Aug 11, 2025

  5. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-07-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0315 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Strengthening Probate Administration Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-124
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
AUGUST 1, 2025
To amend, on an emergency basis,Chapter 3ofTitle 20ofthe Districtof Columbia Official
Code to amend the definitionof abbreviatedprobate,to authorizethe Registerof Wills to
referproceedingstotheCourttodetermineifoneormorepersonalrepresentatives,should be appointed and the willbe admitted to probate,and to strikethe referenceto will
admission intransfersby affidavit;and to amend the StrengtheningProbate Amendment
Act of 2024 to clarifythatthe act appliesto estatesforwhom the decedent died on or
afterMarch 21, 2025,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“StrengtheningProbateAdministrationEmergency Amendment Act of
2025”.
Sec,2.Chapter3ofTitle20oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodeisamendedasfollows:(a)Section20-311isamendedtoreadasfollows:“§20-311.Natureofproceeding.“(@)Anabbreviatedprobateproceedingisaproceedingforprobateofa willora
determinationofa decedent’sintestacyandfortheappointmentofa personalrepresentative.‘ThisproceedingisinstitutedwhenaninterestedpersonfilesapetitionforanabbreviatedprobateproceedingwiththeCourtinaccordancewiththeprovisionsof§ 20-304.Thisproceedingmaybeconductedwithoutthepriornoticerequiredforformalprobateunder§20-323.
“(b)Thefinalityofabbreviatedprobateshallbegovernedby§20-331.”.(b)Section20-312isamendedtoreadasfollows:“§20-312.Actiononpetition.“(a)General,— Uponarequestforabbreviatedprobatefiledinaccordance§20-304,the
CourtortheRegisterofWillsshallappointoneormorepersonalrepresentatives,exceptasprovidedin§20-322.TheappointmentofapersonalrepresentativeshallconstituteanOrderforunsupervisedadministration,unlesstheOrderspecificallyprovidesforsupervisedadministrationasprovidedin§20-402.Innoevent,however,shalltheappointmentofa personalrepresentative
1
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
be delayedpending theCourt’sdecisionwith regardtowhethertheadministrationwillbe
supervisedorunsupervised.
“(b)Wills.— Inthecaseofa petitiontoadmitawilltoabbreviatedprobate,due
executionof thewillshallbe presumed and theCourt ortheRegisterof Willsmay admit a will
toprobateeither:(1)ifthewillappearstohavebeendulyexecutedandcontainsarecitalby
attestingwitnessesof factsconstitutingdue execution;or (2)upon theverifiedstatementof any
personwith personalknowledge of thecircumstancesof execution,whetheror nottheperson
was infactan attestingwitness,recitingfactsshowing due executionof thewill.
“(e)AdditionalProof.— TheRegisterofWillsmayrequireadditionalverifiedproof,
which shailbe filedintheproceeding.IftheRegisterof Willsrequiresadditionalproof,the
mattermaybereferredtotheCourttodetermineifone ormorepersonalrepresentativesshallbe
appointedandwhetherthewillshouldbeadmittedtoprobate.”.
(c)Section20-361(a)(4)isrepealed.
Sec.3.Section7oftheStrengtheningProbateAdministrationAmendmentActof2024,effectiveMarch21,2025(D.C.Law25-302;72DCR 780),isamendedbyaddinganew
subsection(d)toreadasfollows:“(d)ThisactshallapplytoestatesofdecedentswhodiedonorafterMarch21,2025.”.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The CounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan
90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
feTo __CounciloftheDistrictof Columbia

AUGUST 1, 2025

DocketNo,826-0315
[1ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
DIACTION
[DX]VOTEDATE
[X1VOIcevoTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
‘ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE-Result
Councitember.Taye [Nay
ChairmanMende'son}x
Allen
Bonds
x
x
x
x
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FinalReading
July14,2025
Approved

ll Me
Henderson
LewisGoorge
McDuffie
Parkeren suseyt
Q CERTIFICATIONRECORD
SecretarytotheCouncil