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B26-0408 • 2025

Promoting Parental Engagement at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025

Promoting Parental Engagement at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025

Children Healthcare 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 source text lists specific contact triggers (6-month intervals, facility transfers, medical emergencies) but does not detail the consequences for non-compliance.

Promoting Parental Engagement at DYRS Amendment Act of 2026

This law requires the Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services to regularly contact parents about their child's progress and keep records of these contacts.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires staff to make a recurring effort at least every six months after a scheduled predisposition meeting to contact a parent, guardian, or custodian and inform them of the child's progress on their individualized rehabilitation plan.
  • Orders staff to make an effort to contact parents within 24 hours if a child is transferred to a facility other than that indicated in their individualized rehabilitation plan.
  • Requires staff to make an effort to contact parents within 24 hours if a child receives emergency medical treatment resulting from incidents, injuries, or severe illness.
  • Mandates the department keep an electronic log of all efforts made to contact families as required by law and provide copies of this log to parents or guardians upon request.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Youth Rehabilitative Services (DYRS)
  • Parents, guardians, and custodians of children in DYRS custody
  • Children currently under the care or supervision of DYRS

Terms To Know

Predisposition meeting
A scheduled meeting that triggers a requirement for recurring contact with parents.
Individualized rehabilitation plan
The document outlining the child's goals and facility placement, which staff must discuss during required contacts.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify penalties if staff fail to make these required contact efforts.
  • The effective date depends on approval by the Mayor and a 30-day period of congressional review, which may delay when rules start.

Bill History

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

    Law L26-0132, Effective from Jun 11, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 008886

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

    Act A26-0299 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 006789

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

    Transmitted to Congress

  4. 2026-04-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2026-04-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0299

  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 B26-0408 by the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee

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

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0408 by the Youth Affairs Committee

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

    Public Hearing on B26-0408 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 B26-0408 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

    B26-0408 Introduced by Councilmember Parker at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Promoting Parental Engagement at DYRS Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-299

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
APRIL 22, 2026
To amend section16-2319 of the Districtof Columbia OfficialCode to requirethe Department
ofYouthRehabilitativeServicesto,afterascheduledpredispositionmeeting,makearecurringeffortto contactthe child’sparent,guardian,or custodian and inform them of
the child’sprogresson theirindividualizedrehabilitationplan;and to amend section104
of the Department of Youth RehabilitationServices Establishment Act of 2004 to require
the Department of Youth RehabilitativeServicesto maintain an electronicrecord of its
attemptsto contactthe child’sparent,guardian,or custodian,which shallbe made
availableto the Chair of the Council committee with oversightof the Department of
Youth RehabilitativeServices.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthis
actmaybecitedasthe“PromotingParentalEngagementatDYRSAmendmentActof2026”.
See,2.Section16-2319ofthe Districtof Columbia OfficialCode isamended by adding
anewsubsection(e-1)toreadasfollows:
“(¢-1)Followingthedateofthescheduledpredispositionmeeting,theDepartmentshall
makearecurringeffortatleastevery6 monthstocontactthechild’sparent,guardian,or
custodianand informthem of thechild’sprogresson theirindividualizedrehabilitationplan.”.
Sec.3.Section104oftheDepartmentofYouthRehabilitationServicesEstablishment
Actof2004,effectiveApril12,2005(D.C.Law15-335;D.C,OfficialCode§2-1515.04),is
amendedasfollows:(a)A newparagraph(6A)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(6A)Ifthechildistransferredtoafacilityotherthanthatindicatedintheindividualizedrehabilitationplan,makinganefforttocontactthechild’sparent,guardian,or
custodiannolaterthan24hoursafterthechangehasoccurred;”.
(b)Paragraph(19)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”andinsertingasemicolonin
itsplace.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
(c)Paragraph(20)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingasemicoloninitsplace.
(4)Newparagraphs(21)and(22)areaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(21)IfachildinthecustodyoftheDepartmentisprovidedwithemergencymedicaltreatmentresultingfromincidents,injuries,orsevereillness,makinganefforttocontact
thechild’sparent,guardian,orcustodianwithin24hours;and
“(22)Keepinganelectroniclogofalleffortsmadetocontactthechild’sparent,guardian,orcustodianasrequiredbylawandprovidingacopyofthiselectroniclogtothe
child’sparent,guardian,orcustodianandtheChairoftheCouncilcommitteewithoversightoftheDepartmentuponrequest.”.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038:D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember
24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)(1)).
—«€£,
Councilof the Districtof Columbia

Districtof Columbia
APPROVED
APRIL 22, 2026 2
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0408
[0<]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR

DgACTION
[<qVOTEDATE ‘March3,2026
[DgvoicevoTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT

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DocketNo.826-0408
ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR.

{XJACTION FinalReading
[Xx]VOTEDATE ‘March31,2026
[xqvoicevoTe, Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE~Result

‘GounelMember- [Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Ree|Councittember’[aye[Nay|NV [AB[Rec|CouncitMember|Aye| Nay y Rec’
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CERTIFICATIONRECORD

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