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B26-0407 • 2025

Strengthening Capacity and Transparency at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025

Strengthening Capacity and Transparency at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025

Children
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 exact effective date is uncertain until the Chief Financial Officer certifies budget inclusion, even though the bill was enacted in April 2026.

Strengthening Capacity and Transparency at DYRS Amendment Act of 2026

This law requires the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to publish specific data about youth in two facilities and orders the Mayor to submit a plan to reduce overcrowding.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to post daily population counts on its website for the Youth Services Center and New Beginnings Youth Development Center, broken down by status at entry, race, and age.
  • Mandates public reports showing the average length of stay for all youth within each facility.
  • Orders DYRS to publish monthly data about new admissions with committed status or conversions to that status.
  • Requires reporting on the monthly number of instances where youth are placed in improper room confinement, including those lasting more than 6 hours.
  • Sets rules for measuring recidivism at 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month intervals after release from out-of-home committed placements.
  • Requires the Mayor to submit a one-year action plan within 120 days of the law's applicability date to address overcrowding and reduce the population at the Youth Services Center.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS)
  • Youth held at the Youth Services Center
  • Youth held at New Beginnings Youth Development Center
  • The Mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia

Terms To Know

Recidivism data
Statistics measuring youth who are adjudicated delinquent, charged with a new offense, or committed/incarcerated for a new offense within specific timeframes after release.
Committed status
A legal classification where a youth is ordered by a court to stay in the custody of DYRS.
Improper room confinement
Placing a youth in their room for more than 6 hours, as defined under existing laws regarding juvenile conditions of confinement.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies after the Chief Financial Officer certifies that its costs are included in an approved budget and financial plan.
  • The specific date when the law becomes active depends on this fiscal certification, not just the enactment date.

Bill History

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

    Law L26-0131, Effective from Jun 11, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 008885

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

    Act A26-0311 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 006831

  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 A26-0311

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

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0407 by the Youth Affairs Committee

  10. 2025-11-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Public Hearing on B26-0407 View Public Hearing Record

  11. 2025-10-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register

  12. 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

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

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0407 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  14. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Youth Affairs

  15. 2025-10-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0407 Introduced by Councilmember Parker at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Strengthening Capacity and Transparency at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
.ACT 26-311

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
APRIL 24, 2026

Toamendsection104boftheDepartmentofYouthRehabilitationServicesEstablishmentActof2004torequiretheMayortopublish,within120days,aplantoaddresspersistentovercrowdingoftheYouthServicesCenterandtorequiretheDepartmentofYouthRehabilitationServicestopubliclypublishcertainyouthpopulationdataattheYouthServicesCenterandNewBeginningsYouthDevelopmentCenter.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“StrengtheningCapacityandTransparencyatDYRSAmendmentActof2026”.
Sec.2.Section104boftheDepartmentofYouthRehabilitationServicesEstablishment
Actof2004,effectiveApril4,2017(D.C.Law21-238;D.C.OfficialCode§2-1515.04b),isamendedbyaddingnewsubsections(c)and(d)toreadasfollows:“(c)Notwithstandingsection106,theDepartmentshallpubliclyreportontheirwebsitepopulationdataforyouthattheYouthServicesCenter(“YSC”)andNewBeginningsYouthDevelopmentCenter,whichshallinclude:
“(1)Dailypopulationcountsbystatusatentry,race,andage;“(2)Averagelengthofstayforallyouthwithinthefacility;“(3)Themonthlynumberofyouthwho:“(A)ArenewlyadmittedtotheYSCalreadywithcommittedstatus;or
“(B)ConverttocommittedstatusfromanotherlegalstatuswhileatYSC;“(4)Themonthlynumberofyouthwhoareplacedininstancesofimproperroomconfinementpursuanttosection203oftheImprovingtheConditionsofConfinementofJuvenilesActof2016,effectiveApril4,2017(D.C.Law21-238;D.C.OfficialCode§24-912),
includinginstancesinwhichtheyareconfinedtotheirroomforaperiodexceeding6hours;(5)TheaveragenumberofdaysconfinedforcommittedyouthatreleasefromtheYSC,bymonthofadmissionorconversiontocommittedstatus;“(6)Monthlycriticalincidentandassaultdatabyincidenttype,facility,andmonth;and
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(7)Recidivismdata,whichshallbemeasuredusingthefollowingmetricsand
publiclyreportedat12-month,24-month,and36-monthintervals:
“(A)Thepercentageofyouthwhoareadjudicateddelinquentorconvicted
ofa new offensewithin12 months of releasefrom an out-of-homecommitted placement;
“(B)Thepercentageofyouthwhoarechargedwithanewoffensewithin
12 months of releasefrom an out-of-homecommitted placement;and
“(C)Thepercentageofyouthwhoarecommittedorincarceratedasa
resultof a new offensewithin12 monthsof release from an out-of-homecommitted placement.
“(@)Within120daysaftertheapplicabilitydateoftheStrengtheningCapacityand
TransparencyatDYRS Amendment Actof 2026, passedon 2nd readingon March 31,2026
(Enrolledversionof Bill26-407),theMayor shal!submittotheCouncila one-yearactionplan
toaddressovercrowdingandtheawaitingplacementpopulationattheYouthServicesCenter,
‘TheplanshallspecifyhowtheDepartmentwillpermanentlyreducethejuvenilepopulationat
theYouth ServicesCentertoator below itsmaximum capacityand avoidfutureinstancesof
overcrowding.”.
Sec.3.Applicability(a)Thisactshallapplyuponthedateofinclusionofitsfiscaleffectinanapprovedbudgetandfinancialplan.
(b)TheChiefFinancialOfficershallcertifythedateoftheinclusionofthefiscaleffectinanapprovedbudgetandfinancialplan,andprovidenoticetotheBudgetDirectoroftheCouncilofthecertification.(0\(1)TheBudgetDirectorshallcausethenoticeofthecertificationtobepublishedin
theDistrictofColumbiaRegister.(2)Thedateofpublicationofthenoticeofthecertificationshallnotaffecttheapplicabilityofthisact.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement,
TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscal
impactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,
approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreview

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
asprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember
24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-206.02(c)(1)).
airman,
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

APPROVED
APRIL 24, 2026

[X]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[X]ACTION FirstReading,CC
{X]VOTEDATE March3,2026
[X]VolcevoTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
{]ROLLCALLVOTE~Result

‘CoundMember[aye[Nay[WV[AB[Rec]GounaMember[Aye[Ney|NV[AB[Reo]Gourdwomb [Ayo[Nay]WV[AB[Ras
CalmanMendelson]x Frunin x Pinto x
‘Alen x Henderson[x we x
Bonds x LevisGeorge| x Tohite x
Craw x Nadeau x
Feder x Parker x
X=inleateVote ‘ABAbsent NV:Present,NotVoting RecRecused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
47 UteSeditayttheCount Date
DocketNo.826-0407
[DCIITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,

[XTACTION FinalReading,CC
[X]VOTEDATE March31,2026,
[VOICEVOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT

[]ROLLCALLVOTE~Resuit

CouncilMember[Aye[Nay[Nv[As.[Rec|CounciMember[Aye[Nay|NV [AB[Ree[GounaMember[Ave[Nay|NV.[AB[Rec
CharmanMendelson]x Frumin x Pinto
‘Alon x Henderson| X R.write
Bonds x LewisGeorge| X T.Wite
Crawlord x Nadeau x
Felder x Parker x
X-IndicateVoto AB Absent NV-Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
A eeSecretarytotheCounel Date