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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 candidate explanation includes details about the bill's effective date and scope which are supported by the official text.

Strengthening Probate Administration Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This act amends the rules for abbreviated probate proceedings and clarifies when it applies.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes how abbreviated probate proceedings are started, allowing them without prior notice.
  • Gives the Register of Wills more power to refer cases to court if there's a need to decide on appointing personal representatives or admitting a will.
  • Removes outdated references in transfers by affidavit.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved in probate proceedings in Washington D.C.
  • Courts and the Register of Wills in Washington D.C.

Terms To Know

abbreviated probate
A quicker process for handling a will or determining if someone died without leaving a will (intestacy).
personal representative
The person appointed by the court to manage an estate after someone dies.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is only in effect for up to 90 days and will expire on October 30, 2025.
  • It does not apply to estates where the person died before March 21, 2025.

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