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B26-0734 • 2025

Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2026-07-14
Official status
Under Council Review
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill is currently active but has not yet taken effect; it requires approval by the Mayor or a veto override before becoming law.

Special Education for Young Adults in DC Corrections Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This bill requires the District Department of Corrections to provide special education services to young adults with disabilities held in its secure facilities during school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Designates the Department of Corrections as the agency responsible for providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under federal IDEA law and District law to certain individuals in its custody.
  • Requires this service specifically during school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
  • Applies these requirements to individuals with disabilities who are at least 18 years old until they reach the end of their eligibility for FAPE under IDEA and District law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Individuals with disabilities aged 18 through the end of their eligibility age who are detained in Department of Corrections secure facilities.
  • The District Department of Corrections, which must provide or arrange for these education services during the specified school years.

Terms To Know

FAPE
Free Appropriate Public Education, a legal requirement under federal and local law to educate students with disabilities according to their needs.
IDEA
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal law that sets rules for special education services mentioned in this bill.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The requirement to provide these services applies only during school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
  • As an emergency act, the law remains in effect for no longer than 90 days after it takes effect unless extended or made permanent by new legislation.

Bill History

  1. 2026-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  2. 2026-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  3. 2026-07-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0734 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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_______________________ 3
Councilmember Brooke Pinto 4
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A BILL 7
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________ 9
10
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 11
12
________________ 13
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To amend, on an emergency basis, An Act To create a Department of Corrections in the District 15
of Columbia and the Corrections Oversight Improvement Omnibus Amendment Act of 16
2022 to designate the Department of Corrections as the District agency to provide a free 17
appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and 18
District law to certain individuals in its custody and detained in its secure facilities. 19
20
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 21
act may be cited as the “Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of 22
Corrections Emergency Amendment Act of 2026”. 23
Sec. 2. Section 2(b) of An Act To create a Department of Corrections in the District of 24
Columbia, approved June 27, 1946 (60 Stat. 320; D.C. Official Code § 24-211.02(b)), is 25
amended as follows: 26
(a) Paragraph (9) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting a semicolon in 27
its place. 28
(b) The first paragraph (10) is amended by striking the period and inserting a semicolon 29
in its place. 30
(c) The second paragraph (10) is redesignated as paragraph (11). 31
(d) The newly redesignated paragraph (11) is amended by striking the period and 32
inserting the phrase “; and” in its place. 33
2
(e) A new paragraph (12) is added to read as follows: 34
“(12) During school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, provide a free appropriate 35
public education (“FAPE”) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, approved 36
April 13, 1970 (84 Stat. 175; 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.) (“IDEA”), and District law to individuals 37
with disabilities who are in its custody and detained in its secure facilities from the age of 18 38
through the end of the individual’s eligibility for FAPE under the IDEA and District law.”. 39
Sec. 3. Amendatory section 2 within section 10(a) of the Corrections Oversight 40
Improvement Omnibus Amendment Act of 2022, effective April 21, 2023 (D.C. Law 24-344; 70 41
DCR 635), is amended as follows: 42
(a) Paragraph (12) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting a semicolon in 43
its place. 44
(b) Paragraph (13) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase “; and” in 45
its place. 46
(c) A new paragraph (14) is added to read as follows: 47
“(14) During school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, provide a free appropriate 48
public education (“FAPE”) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, approved 49
April 13, 1970 (84 Stat. 175; 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.) (“IDEA”), and District law to individuals 50
with disabilities who are in its custody and detained in its secure facilities from the age of 18 51
through the end of the individual’s eligibility for FAPE under the IDEA and District law.”. 52
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 53
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 54
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 55
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 56
3
Sec. 5. Effective date. 57
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 58
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect no longer than 90 59
days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of 60
the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official 61
Code § 1-204.12(a)). 62