B26-0348 • 2025

Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Children Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Pinto
Last action: 2025-10-10
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

There is a conflict between Section 5 of the bill text (which states emergency acts remain in effect no longer than 90 days) and the official status label/metadata which explicitly states 'Expires on Jan 01, 2026'. The summary reflects both possibilities.

Special Education for Young Adults in DC Corrections Act of 2025

This law requires the District Department of Corrections to provide special education services to young adults with disabilities held in its secure facilities during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.

What This Bill Does

Designates the Department of Corrections as the agency responsible for providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under federal IDEA law and District law to certain individuals in its custody.
Requires this service be provided during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.
Mandates that individuals with disabilities aged 18 through their end of eligibility for FAPE receive these educational services while detained in secure facilities.
Amends existing laws to add this new duty for the Department of Corrections.

Who It Names or Affects

Individuals with disabilities who are at least 18 years old and held in District correctional facilities until they reach the end of their eligibility for special education.
The District Department of Corrections, which must provide or arrange for these education services.

Terms To Know

FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education: Specialized instruction and support provided at no cost to students with disabilities under federal law.
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: A federal law that ensures children and young adults with disabilities receive special education services.

Limits and Unknowns

This act is an emergency measure. While the text states it remains in effect no longer than 90 days as provided for emergency acts, other official records indicate a specific expiration date of January 1, 2026.
The law applies only during two specific school years (2024-2025 and 2025-2026) and may need renewal to continue after that time.

Bill History

2025-10-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Act A26-0154 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 010904, Expires on Jan 01, 2026
2025-10-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2025-10-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0154, Expires on Jan 01, 2026
2025-09-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Oct 08, 2025
2025-09-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council
2025-09-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-09-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
B26-0348 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-154
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OCTOBER 3, 2025

‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,AnActTocreateaDepartmentofCorrectionsintheDistrictofColumbiaandtheCorrectionsOversightImprovementOmnibusAmendmentActof2022todesignatetheDepartmentofCorrectionsastheDistrictagencytoprovideafree
appropriatepubliceducationundertheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationActandDistrictlawtocertainindividualsinitscustodyanddetainedinitssecurefacilities,
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“SpecialEducationforYoungAdultsintheCustodyoftheDepartmentofCorrectionsSecondEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”,
Sec.2.Section2(b)ofAnActTocreateaDepartmentofCorrectionsintheDistrictofColumbia,approvedJune27,1946(60Stat.320;D.C.OfficialCode§24-211,02(b)),is
amendedasfollows:(a)Paragraph(9)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”andinsertingasemicoloninitsplace.
(b)Thefirstparagraph(10)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingasemicoloninitsplace.
(c)Thesecondparagraph(10)isredesignatedasparagraph(11).(@)Paragraph(11)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthephrase“;and”initsplace.(e)A newparagraph(12)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
(12)Duringschoolyears2024-2025and2025-2026,provideafreeappropriatepubliceducation(“APE”)undertheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct,approvedApril13,1970(84Stat.175;20U.S.C.§1400erseq.)(“IDEA”),andDistrictlawtoindividualswithdisabilitieswhoareinitscustodyanddetainedinitssecurefacilitiesfromtheageof18
throughtheendoftheindividual’seligibilityforFAPEundertheIDEAandDistrictlaw.”,
Sec.3.Amendatorysection2withinsection10(a)oftheCorrectionsOversightImprovementOmnibusAmendmentActof2022,effectiveApril21,2023(D.C.Law24-344;70
DCR 635),isamendedasfollows:
ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
(a)Paragraph(12)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”andinsertingasemicolonin
itsplace.(b)Paragraph(13)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthephrase“;and”initsplace.(©)A newparagraph(14)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(14)Duringschoolyears2024-2025and2025-2026,providea freeappropriate
publiceducation(“FAPE”)undertheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct,approvedApril13,1970(84Stat.175;20U.S.C.§1400etseq.)(“IDEA”),andDistrictlawtoindividualswithdisabilitieswhoareinitscustodyanddetainedinitssecurefacilitiesfromtheageof18throughtheendoftheindividual’seligibilityforFAPEundertheIDEAandDistrictlaw.”.

Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementof the Budget Directorasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October 16,2006 (120Stat.2038;D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectnolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
jairman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

OCTOBER3, 2025
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON,DC,20004
DocketNo.826.0348
[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
DOACTION FinalReading
DQVOTEDATE ‘Soptomber17,2025
IX]VOICEVOTE. ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE-

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x MeDutie x T.White x
x Nadeau x
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