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B26-0400 • 2025

Statutory Neglect Amendment Act of 2025

Statutory Neglect Amendment Act of 2025

Children Firearms Healthcare Housing Parental Rights
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Parker
Last action
2026-06-26
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text cites the act as 'Statutory Neglect Amendment Act of 2026' despite metadata mentioning a 2025 bill number; the title in the explanation was corrected to match the enacted law's citation.

Statutory Neglect Amendment Act of 2026

This law updates the District of Columbia's definition of child neglect to clarify that poverty, homelessness, or receiving public benefits alone cannot prove a parent failed to provide care.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends Section 16-2301 of the D.C. Official Code to standardize the statutory definition of neglect.
  • States that eligibility for or use of public benefits does not automatically mean neglect is due to lack of money.
  • Clarifies that homelessness or unstable housing alone are not enough to label a child as neglected.
  • Updates the legal definition of 'abused' to include threatening a child with firearms, knives, or other prohibited weapons.
  • Defines physical discipline by parents as excluded from abuse if it is reasonable and moderate and the child is at least 3 years old.
  • Adds new rules defining when a child has been abandoned based on parental contact efforts over four months.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Parents, guardians, or custodians in the District of Columbia
  • Children living with parents who receive public benefits or lack stable housing
  • District agencies responsible for investigating reports of child neglect and abuse

Terms To Know

Neglected Child
A child suffering harm because a parent failed to provide adequate care, unless that failure is solely due to lack of money.
Public Benefits
Government assistance programs; receiving these alone does not prove neglect or establish that the failure to provide care was due to financial means.
Abandoned Child
A child whose parent has made no reasonable effort to maintain a relationship for at least 4 months, including specific rules for newborns in hospitals who are not surrendered under Safe Haven laws.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how agencies will measure if physical discipline is 'reasonable' or 'moderate'.
  • The text defines when neglect occurs but does not list the penalties for parents found to have neglected a child.
  • The effective date depends on approval by the Mayor and a 30-day congressional review period.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-26 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law L26-0129, Effective from Jun 11, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 008883

  2. 2026-05-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0309 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 006825

  3. 2026-04-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  4. 2026-04-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0309

  5. 2026-04-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  6. 2026-04-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Apr 28, 2026

  7. 2026-03-31 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2026-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  9. 2026-02-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0400 by the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee

  10. 2026-01-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0400 by the Youth Affairs Committee

  11. 2025-11-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Public Hearing on B26-0400 View Public Hearing Record

  12. 2025-10-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register

  13. 2025-10-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Judiciary and Public Safety, Youth Affairs

  14. 2025-10-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0400 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  15. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Youth Affairs, and Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  16. 2025-10-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0400 Introduced by Councilmember Parker at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Statutory Neglect Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-309
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
APRIL 24, 2026
Toamendsection16-2301oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodetoconsolidateandstandardizethestatutorydefinitionofneglect,toclarifythataparent,guardian,orcustodian’seligibilityfor,oruseof,publicbenefits,norhomelessness,orlackofstablehousing,alone,shallnotbesufficienttoestablishthattheparent,guardian,orcustodian’s
failuretoprovideadequatecareisduetothelackoffinancialmeans.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“StatutoryNeglectAmendment Act of 2026”.
Sec.2,Section16-2301oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodeisamendedasfollows:
(a)Paragraph(9)isamendedasfollows:(1)Subparagraph(A)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(9)(A)Theterm“neglectedchild”meansachild:(i)whohasbeenabusedbytheirparent,guardian,orcustodian,orwhoseparent,guardian,orcustodianhasfailedtotakeactionsthatarereasonableunderthe
circumstancestoprotectthechildfromabuse;“(ii)whoissufferingorisatsubstantialriskofsufferingseriousphysical,mental,oremotionalharm,duetotheparent,guardian,orcustodian’sfailuretoprovideadequatecare,includingminimallynecessarysupervision,subsistence,andeducationasrequired
bylawbasedona considerationofa totalityofthecircumstances,andthefailureisnotsolelyduetothelackoffinancialmeansofhisorherparent,guardian,orcustodian;provided,thateligibilityfor,orreceiptof,publicbenefits,alone,shallnotbesufficienttoestablishthatthe
failureisnotduesolelytothelackoffinancialmeans;“Gii)whoissufferingorisatsubstantialriskofsufferingseriousphysical,mental,oremotionalharm,becausetheparent,guardian,orcustodianisunabletodischargetheirresponsibilitiestothechildduetomentalincapacity;“(iv)whoseparent,guardian,orcustodianrefuses,isunavailable,
orstatesthattheyareunabletocontinueprovidingfororassumethechild’scare,control,or
subsistence;
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(y)whoisinimminentdangerofbeingabusedandanotherchild
livinginthesame householdor under thecareof thesame parent,guardian,or custodianhas
been abused;
“(vi)Repealed;
“(vii)who has been abandoned;
“(viii)who isborn dependenton a controlledsubstanceor has a
significantpresenceof a controlledsubstanceintheirsystem atbirth;
“(ix)inwhose body thereisa controlledsubstanceas a directand
foreseeableconsequenceof the actsor omissionsof thechild’sparent,guardian,or custodian;or
“(z)whoisregularlyexposedtoillegaldrug-relatedactivityinthe
home.
“(xi)Repealed,
(2)A newsubparagraph(D)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(D) Homelessness or lackofstable housingaloneshallnot be sufficient
toestablishthata childisa neglectedchild.”.
(b)Paragraph(23)isamendedasfollows:
(1)Subparagraph(A)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(23)(A)Theterm“abused”,whenusedwithreferencetoa child,includes:
“(i)inflictionofphysicalinjury;
“Gi)inflictionofmentalinjury;
“(iii)sexualabuseorexploitation;
“(iv)mistreatmentofthechildbywithholdingadequatefood,
clothing,shelter,ormedicalcare;
“(v)interferingwith a child'sbreathing;or
“(vi)threateningachildwithafirearm,aknife,oranyprohibited
‘weapondescribedinsection14 of An Act To controlthepossession,sale,transfer,and use of
pistolsandotherdangerousweaponsintheDistrictofColumbia,toprovidepenalties,to
prescriberulesofevidence,andforotherpurposes,approvedJuly8,1932(47Stat.654;
OfficialCode § 22-4514),or usingsuch a weapon on a child.”.
(2)Subparagraph(B)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(B) The term “abused” does not includephysicaldisciplineadministered
by a parent,guardian,or custodiantotheirchild;provided,thatthechildisatleast3 yearsof
age,andthephysicaldisciplineisreasonableinmannerandmoderateindegree.”.
(c)Paragraph(24)isrepealed.
(@)A newparagraph(52)isaddedtoreadasfollows
“(52)(A)Theterm“abandoned”meansachild:
“(i)whose parent,guardian,or legalcustodianhas notmade
reasonableeffortstomaintaina parentalrelationshipwith thechildfora periodofat least4
months;or

.C,

ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
(ii)whohasresidedinahospitallocatedintheDistrictofColumbiaforatleast10daysfollowingthebirthofthechildandtheparentofthechilddidnot
undertakeanyactionormakeanyefforttomaintainaparental-relationshiporcontactwiththe
childorhospital.“(B)Theterm“abandoned”doesnotincludeachildwhoissurrenderedinaccordancewithTitleIoftheNewbornSafeHavenAmendmentActof2010,effectiveMay27,
2010(D.C.Law18-158;D.C.OfficialCode§4-1451.01efseq.).”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember
24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)(1)).
airman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

APRIL 24, 2026

[DX]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
[XCACTION
1XVOTEDATE
[VOICEVOTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE—Result
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FirstReading,CC
March3,2026
Approved

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Felder x Parker x
‘X- IndicateVote AB~ Absent NV -Present, NotVoting Rec- Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
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Docket No. 826-0400
[X] ITEM ON CONSENT CALENDAR:
PxTAGTION FinalReading,
{X] VOTE DATE March 31,2026
[X] VOICE VOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
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CoundMember [aye|Nay[NV [AB[Ret]CountMember[aye[Nay|NV.[AB[Rec]CouncliMember[Aye[Nay|NV.|AB[Reo
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Felder x Parker x
X-IndicateVote ~AB~Absont_ NV-Presont,NotVoting
CCERTIFIOATIONRECORD
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