KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to District of Columbia

B26-0563 • 2025

Prearrest Diversion Task Force Recommendations Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Prearrest Diversion Task Force Recommendations Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Crime
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2026-02-06
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status indicates this is an emergency act that expires after 90 days unless extended or re-enacted, which limits its long-term impact.

Prearrest Diversion Task Force Recommendations Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This law changes the deadlines for a task force to report on pre-arrest diversion and allows certain legal notices in probate cases to be published in newspapers.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the deadline for the Prearrest Diversion Task Force to issue initial recommendations to no later than June 2025.
  • Sets a new deadline of July 31, 2026, for the task force to complete its work on pre-arrest diversion for certain misdemeanor offenses and categories of people.
  • Amends District law to allow notices about requests for formal probate to be published in newspapers or legal periodicals instead of only legal periodicals.
  • Allows foreign personal representatives of deceased individuals who owned property in the District to publish notice of appointment in a newspaper or legal periodical.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Prearrest Diversion Task Force
  • People involved in probate cases for property located in Washington, D.C.
  • Foreign personal representatives of deceased individuals who owned District property

Terms To Know

Prearrest Diversion Task Force
A group created to study ways to divert certain people away from the criminal justice system before they are arrested.
Probate
The legal process of managing and distributing a deceased person's property and debts.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act remains in effect for no longer than 90 days after it takes effect.
  • The text does not specify the exact content of the task force recommendations beyond setting new deadlines.
  • The law applies only to property located within the District of Columbia.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0255 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 001083, Expires on Apr 27, 2026

  2. 2026-02-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2026-01-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0255, Expires on Apr 27, 2026

  4. 2026-01-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Feb 02, 2026

  5. 2026-01-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2026-01-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2026-01-05 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0563 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Prearrest Diversion Task Force Recommendations Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JANUARY 27, 2026
Toamend,onanemergencybasis,duetocongressionalreview,section1507oftheCriminalJusticeCoordinatingCouncilfortheDistrictofColumbiaEstablishmentActof2001tochangethedatebywhichthePrearrestDiversionTaskForceshallissueinitial
recommendationsforprearrestdiversionofcertainmisdemeanoroffensesandcategoriesofpersonstoJuly2026;andtoamendTitle20oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodetoallowfornoticeofrequestforformalprobate,noticefroma foreignpersonalrepresentativeofa decedentwhoownedanypropertylocatedintheDistrictofColumbia,andnoticeofappointmenttointerestedpersons,creditors,andunknownheirsinalegalperiodicalornewspaperofgeneralcirculationintheDistrict.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“PreatrestDiversionTaskForceRecommendationsCongressionalReviewEmergencyAmendmentActof2026”.
Sec.2.Section1507oftheCriminalJusticeCoordinatingCouncilfortheDistrictofColumbiaEstablishmentActof2001,effectiveJune8,2024(D.C.Law25-175;D.C.OfficialCode§22-4237),isamendedasfollows:
(a)Subsection(g)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“Within3monthsaftertheapplicabilitydateofsection29oftheSecureDC OmnibusAmendmentActof2024,passedon2ndreadingonMarch5,2024EnrolledversionofBill25-345),”andinsertingthephrase“NolaterthanJune2025,”initsplace.
(b)Subsection(h)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“Withinoneyearaftertheapplicabilitydateofsection29oftheSecureDC OmnibusAmendmentActof2024,passedon2ndreadingonMarch5,2024(EnrolledversionofBill25-345),”andinsertingthephrase“NolaterthanJuly31,2026,”initsplace.
Sec.3,Title20oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodeisamendedasfollows:(a)Section20-323(a)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“legalperiodicalofgeneralcirculationintheDistrict”andinsertingthephrase“legalperiodicalornewspaperofgeneralcirculationintheDistrict”initsplace.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
(b)Section20-343(a)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“legalperiodicalofgeneral
circulationintheDistrict”andinsertingthephrase“legalperiodicalornewspaperofgeneralcirculationintheDistrict”initsplace.(©)Section20-704(a)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“legalperiodicalofgeneralcirculationintheDistrict”andinsertingthephrase“legalperiodicalornewspaperofgeneral
circulationintheDistrict”initsplace.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.‘ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;
D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).

Councilof theDistrictof Columbia.

APPROVED
January27,2026
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA

WASHINGTON,DG,20004
[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
[XTACTION FinalReading,CC
[DqVOTEDATE January6,2026
DxvoicevoTe Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE~Result
WE A
ChairmanMendelson)X
Allen
Bonds
Felder
Frumin a : aT ea
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
scm 10i Council ~ Date