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B26-0566 • 2025

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Elections
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

The official source material does not provide specific details on the impact or implementation process beyond what is stated in the summary.

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This act clarifies rules for petition circulators and signers in the District of Columbia to prevent alterations after signatures are made.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires that petition circulators state they have not altered signer information on a petition after it is signed.
  • Prohibits anyone from altering signer information provided by the petition signer, except when the signer requests assistance before signing.
  • Updates existing sections of the District of Columbia Election Code to include these requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Petition circulators in the District of Columbia
  • People who sign petitions in the District of Columbia

Terms To Know

Circulator
A person who collects signatures for a petition.
Petition
A document that gathers support for an issue or proposal by collecting signatures.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is effective for no longer than 90 days.
  • It applies only to the District of Columbia.

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)).
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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