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B26-0566 • 2025

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Enacted

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

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

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This law changes rules for petitions in Washington, D.C., to stop people from changing signer information after a person signs.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires petition circulators to state they did not write, alter, correct, clarify, or obscure any signer details on the petition after the signature was added.
  • Prohibits anyone except the signer from writing, altering, correcting, or clarifying their own information on nomination petitions unless the signer asks for help before signing.
  • Allows a person other than the signer to write, alter, correct, or clarify information only if the signer requests assistance in doing so before affixing their signature.
  • Bans the use of correction tape or fluid on petition sheets.
  • Applies these same rules and bans for initiative, referendum, and recall petitions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who collect signatures (circulators) for candidate nomination petitions
  • People who circulate initiative, referendum, and recall petitions
  • Residents of Washington, D.C., who sign these types of petitions

Terms To Know

Circulator
A person who carries a petition to collect signatures from others.
Initiative, Referendum, and Recall Petitions
Types of petitions used to propose new laws, vote on existing laws, or remove an elected official from office.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law is an emergency act that remains in effect for no longer than 90 days.
  • The text does not specify penalties for breaking these rules.

Bill History

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

    Act A26-0256 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 001085, Expires on Apr 28, 2026

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

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2026-01-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0256, Expires on Apr 28, 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

    B26-0566 Introduced by Councilmember Bonds at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-256
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JANUARY 28, 2026
To amend,on an emergencybasis,theDistrictofColumbiaElectionCode of 1955torequire
candidatenominationpetitionaffidavitsto statethatthecirculatorhas not alteredsigner
informationona petitionafterasignerhassignedthepetition,prohibitanyonefrom
alteringsignerinformationprovidedbythepetitionsigner,exceptincaseswherethe
signerrequestsassistanceinsigningthepetitionbeforesigningthepetition,requireinitiative,referendum,and recallpetitionaffidavitstostatethatthecirculatorhas not
alteredsignerinformationona petitionafterasignerhassignedthepetition,andprohibit
anyonefromalteringsignerinformationprovidedbythepetitionsigneronaninitiative,referendum,orrecallpetition,exceptincaseswherethesignerrequestsassistancein
signingthepetitionbeforesigningthepetition.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That thisactmay be
citedas the“PetitionAdministrationClarificationEmergency Amendment Act of 2026”.
Sec.2.TheDistrictofColumbiaElectionCodeof1955,approvedAugust12,1955(69
Stat.701;D.C.OfficialCode§1-1001.01etseq.),isamendedasfollows:(a)Section8(D.C.OfficialCode1-1001.08)isamendedasfollows:(1)Subsection(b)(3)isamendedasfollows:(A)Subparagraph(B)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”and
insertingasemicoloninitsplace.(B)Subparagraph(C)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthephrase“;and”initsplace.(C)A newsubparagraph(D)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(D)Notwritten,altered,corrected,clarified,orobscuredinformationonthepetitionaboutthesignerofthepetitionafterthesigneraffixedtheirsignaturetothepetition.”.
(2)A newsubsection(n-1)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(n-1)Nopersonotherthanthepetitionsignermaywrite,alter,correct,orclarify,onanominatingpetitionanyinformationaboutthepetitionsignerunlessthesignerrequestsassistanceinwriting,altering,correcting,orclarifyingonthepetition,anyinformationaboutthesignerbefore
thesigneraffixestheirsignature.Theuseofcorrectiontapeorfluidisprohibited.”(b)Section16(D.C.OfficialCode§1-1001.16)isamendedasfollows:
1
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(1)Subsection(h)isamendedbyaddinganewparagraph(3A)toreadasfollows:“@A)Thatthecirculatorofthepetitionsheethasnotwritten,altered,corrected,clarified,orobscuredinformationonthepetitionaboutthesignerofthepetitionafterthesigneraffixedtheirsignaturetothepetition;”.
(2)A newsubsection(h-1)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(h-1)Nopersonotherthanthepetitionsignermaywrite,alter,correct,orclarify,onapetitionsheetforaninitiativeorreferendumunlessthesignerrequestsassistanceinwriting,altering,correcting,orclarifyingonthepetition,anyinformationaboutthepetitionsignerbeforethesigneraffixestheirsignature.Theuseofcorrectionfluidortapeisprohibited.”.(©)Section17(D.C,OfficialCode§1-1001.17)isamendedasfollows:(1)Subsection(f)isamendedbyaddinganewparagraph(3)toreadasfollows:“@A)Thatthecirculatorofthepetitionsheethasnotwritten,altered,corrected,
clarified,orobscuredinformationonthepetitionaboutthesignerofthepetitionafterthesigneraffixedtheirsignaturetothepetition;”.
(2)A newsubsection(f-1)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(E-1)No personotherthanthepetitionsignermaywrite,alter,correct,orclarify,ona
petitionsheetforarecallpetitionunlessthesignerrequestsassistanceinwriting,altering,correcting,orclarifyingonthepetition,anyinformationaboutthepetitionsignerbeforethesigneraffixestheirsignature.Theuseofcorrectionfluidortapeisprohibited.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportforthePetition
AdministrationClarificationAmendmentActof2026,passedon2ndreadingonJanuary6,2026(EnrolledversionofBill26-233),asthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.‘ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectnolongerthan90-days,as provided foremergency actsof theCouncil of theDistrictof Columbia insection412(a)
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§§1-204.12(a)).
hairman
Councilofthe DistrictofColumbia

DistridtofCokynbiaAPPROVED
January28,2026

[]TEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[ACTION
UX]VOTEDATE
[X1VOICEvoTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE~Result
inclMember
ChairmanMendelson)X
‘Alen x
Bonds x
Felder
Frumin x
[KetnleateVole
= ‘Secretaryfo {<
COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FinalReading
January6,2026
Approved

t9¢|CouncilMember|
Henderson
LewisGeorge

CERTIFICATIONRECORD