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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-250
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JANUARY 22, 2026
ToamendtheDistrictofColumbiaPublicAssistanceActof1982torequiretheDepartmentofHumanServicestoissueelectronicbenefittransfercardswiththeftpreventiontechnologyandtorestorestolenpublicbenefits;andtoamendsection31cofthe
HomelessServicesReformActof2005toextendtheoperationoftheFlexibleRentSubsidyPilotProgrambyoneyearthroughFiscalYear2027.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“PublicBenefitsSecurityAmendment Act of 2026”.
Sec.2.TheDistrictofColumbiaPublicAssistanceActof1982,effectiveApril6,1982(D.C.Law4-101;D.C.OfficialCode§4-201.01erseq.),isamendedasfollows:
(a)Section101(D.C,OfficialCode§4~201.01)isamendedasfollows:
(1)A newparagraph(IE)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(1E)“Cloning”meansusingdataacquiredbyunlawfulmeanstocreateaduplicatecopyofarecipient’sEBTcard.”.
(2)Paragraph(3A)isredesignatedasparagraph(3C).
(3)Newparagraphs(3)and(3B)areaddedtoreadasfollows:
“@A)“EBTcard”meansamethodtoaccesspublicassistanceissuedtoarecipientorarecipient’sauthorizedrepresentativethroughanelectronicpaymentssystem.
“(3B)“EMVtechnology”meanstheintegrationinamethodofpaymentofamicrochipthatgeneratesadynamic,one-time-usecodeforeachpaymenttransaction.”.
(4)Paragraph(5D)isredesignatedasparagraph(SE).
(5)A newparagraph(5D)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(SD)“Phishing”meansatechniqueforattemptingtoacquiresensitivedata,suchasEBTcardinformation,throughasolicitationinwhichthesolicitorpurportstobeotherthan
whothesolicitoris.”.
(©A newparagraph(8A)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(8A)“Skimming”meansusingtechnologyunlawfullyinstalledonanautomated
tellermachine,point-of-saleterminal,or similardevicetocapturedataassociatedwitha
recipient'sEBT card.”.
(7)A new paragraph(10A) isadded toreadas follows:
“(10A) “Theft”shallhave thesame meaning as insection111 of theDistrictof
Columbia Theftand White CollarCrimes Act of 1982,effectiveDecember 1,1982 (D.C.Law 4-
164; D.C.OfficialCode § 22-3211).”.
(b)Section205 (D.C.OfficialCode § 4-202.05)isamended by addinga new subsection
(8)toreadasfollows:
“(£)The Mayor, pursuanttoTitleIof theDistrictof Columbia Administrative
ProcedureAct,approved October 21, 1968 (82 Stat.1204;D.C. OfficialCode § 2-501 efseq.),
may issuerulestoimplementtheprovisionsofthePublicBenefitsSecurityAmendment Actof
2026,passedon 2nd readingon January6,2026 (Enrolledversionof Bill 26-367).”.
(c)New sections583 and 584 areadded toreadas follows:
“Sec,583.Preventionof theft of electronicallytransferredbenefits.
“(a)ByOctober1,2027,theDepartmentshallissue,toallrecipientsreceivingpublic
assistanceon electronicbenefittransfercards,updatedEBT cardsthatincorporateEMV
technology.
“(b)The Department shallseekreimbursementforthecostsof transitioningtotheuse of
EMV technology fromtheFood and NutritionServiceof theDepartmentofAgriculturetothe
fullestextentpermissibleunder federallaw.
“Sec.584.Reimbursement fortheftof electronicallytransferredbenefits.
“(a)(1)Ifa recipientreportsthetheftofpublicassistancebyfraudulentmeanstothe
Department within6 months of thetheft,andif an investigationby theDepartment shows thata
recipient'scorrectlyissuedpublicassistancewaslostduetotheftbyfraudulentmeans,the
Department shallrestoreup to2 months of correctlyissuedpublicassistancelostdue totheftby
fraudulentmeans.
“(2)Forthepurposesofthissection:
“(A) Publicassistanceis“correctlyissued”if theamount of,and the
recipient’seligibilityfor,publicassistancewasaccuratelycalculatedunderapplicablelaw;
“(B)Theftis“by fraudulentmeans” ifitisdone by phishing,skimming,
cloning,orotherwisewiththeintenttoobtainthepropertyofanotherbymeansofa falseor
fraudulentpretense,representation,orpromise;
“(C) Ifincidentsof theftthatoccurredinmultiplemonths arereported
simultaneously,thevalueof“2monthsofcorrectlyissuedpublicassistance”subjectto
restorationshallbe calculatedon thebasisof the2 months duringwhich publicassistancewas
lostdue totheftinwhich thecorrectlyissuedbenefitamounts were thehighest;
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(D) In calculatingthevalueof “2 monthsofcorrectlyissuedpublic
assistance,”theDepartmentshallexcludeanyspecialoradditionalpaymentsreceivedbythe
recipientduringthemonthsthatserveasthebasisfortheDepartment’scalculation,including
any amount receivedincompensationforpastunderpayment;
“(B)A recipientneednotperfectareportoftheftbyprovidingany
supportingdocumentationrequestedbytheDepartmentwithinthetimelinesestablishedbythis
subsectionfora reportof thefttobe consideredtimelymade; and
“(F)Theterm“publicassistance”doesnotincludepublicbenefits
programsadministeredbyagenciesotherthantheDepartmentortheminimumannualbenefit
establishedby section5083(c)of theFood Stamp Expansion Actof 2009,effectiveMarch 3,
2010(D.C.Law 18-111;D.C.OfficialCode§4-261.03(¢)).”.
“(b)Notlaterthan20daysafterarecipientinformstheDepartmentofthelossofpublic
assistanceduetotheft,theDepartmentshall:
(1)IftheDepartmentdeterminesthattherecipientlostpublicassistancedueto
theftby fraudulentmeans, restorethelower of:
“(A)The stolenpublicassistanceintheamountthatwas lost;or
“(B) Two months of correctlyissuedpublicassistance;
“(2)IftheDepartment determinesthattherecipientlostpublicassistancedue to
theft,providetherecipientwithanewEBT card;and
“(3)Notifytherecipientinwritingof:
“(A)TheDepartment’sdecisionwhethertorestorepublicassistance;
“(B)Theamountofpublicassistancetoberestored,ifany;and
“(C) IftheDepartment findsthatpublicassistancewas notlostdue totheft
byfraudulentmeansoriftheDepartmentrestoreslessinpublicassistancethantherecipient
allegedwaslostduetotheftbyfraudulentmeans:
“(i)ThereasonfortheDepartment’sdecision;
“(i)Therecipient'srighttoafairhearingontheDepartment’s
decision;
“(iii)Themethodforrequestingafairhearing:
“(iv)Therighttorepresentationinafairhearing;and
“(v)Theavailabilityof,andmeansofcontacting,freelegalcounsel.
“(©Ifarecipientdisputestheamountofpublicassistancerestoredundersubsection(a)
ofthissectionortheDepartment'sdeterminationthatnorestorationisdue,therecipientmayrequestafairhearingwithin90daysofthedateoftheDepartment’sdetermination.
“(@)(1)ThissectionshallapplyasofOctober1,2027.
“(2)NothinginthissectionshallbeconstruedtolimittheDepartment'sabilitytorestorepublicassistancelostduetotheftbeforeOctober1,2027.”.
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ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
Sec,3.Section31¢(e)of theHomeless ServicesReform Act of 2005,effectiveOctober8,
2016 (D.C.Law 21-160;D.C. OfficialCode § 4-756.05(e)),isamended by strikingthephrase
“September 30,2026” and insertingthephrase“September 30,2027” initsplace.
Sec.4.Applicability.
(a)Section2shallapplyuponthedateofinclusionofitsfiscaleffectinanapproved
budgetand financialplan.
(b)TheChief FinancialOfficershallcertifythedateof theinclusionof thefiscaleffectin
anapprovedbudgetandfinancialplanandprovidenoticetotheBudgetDirectoroftheCouncil
ofthe certification.
(c)(1)The Budget Directorshallcausethenoticeofthe certificationto be publishedin
theDistrictofColumbiaRegister.
(2)The dateof publicationof thenoticeofthe certificationshallnot affectthe
applicabilityoftheprovisionidentifiedinsubsection(a)ofthissection.
Sec.5.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscal
impactstatementrequiredby section4a of theGeneralLegislativeProceduresAct of 1975,
approvedOctober 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038;D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.6.Effectivedate,
ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreview
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
asprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.$13;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(¢)(1)).
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Councilof the Districtof Columbia
APPROVED
January 22,2026
DocketNo.826-0367
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COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA.
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December16,2025
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FinalReading
January6,2028
Approved
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