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PR26-0213 • 2025

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Reform Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Reform Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Frumin
Last action
2025-06-13
Official status
Approved
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes claims about court delays and housing provider actions that are not explicitly supported by the provided official source material.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Changes

This resolution updates rules for emergency rental assistance in Washington, D.C., to ensure there is no gap when temporary laws expire and permanent ones begin.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes how tenants must show they are eligible for emergency rental help funds.
  • Clarifies what counts as an emergency situation that allows people to get this help.
  • Requires the mayor to make rules about these changes.
  • Allows courts to delay eviction cases if a tenant is waiting for emergency rental help.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tenants who need emergency rental assistance in Washington, D.C.
  • Housing providers and landlords in the District of Columbia
  • Courts handling eviction cases

Terms To Know

Emergency Rental Assistance Program
A program that helps people pay for rent during emergencies.
Congressional review
The process where Congress looks at laws passed by the District of Columbia to decide if they should be allowed to stay in effect.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This resolution only applies while the permanent law is being reviewed by Congress.
  • It does not say what happens after the temporary act expires on July 30, 2025.
  • The exact details of how courts and housing providers will follow these rules are not fully explained.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Resolution R26-0117, Effective from Jun 03, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 006608

  2. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  3. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  4. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Approved with Resolution Number R26-0117

  5. 2025-05-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    PR26-0213 Introduced by Councilmember Frumin at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Emergency Rental Assistance Program Reform Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

A RESOLUTION

26-117

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

June 3, 2025

To declare the existence of an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need
to amend section 8f of the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005 to require specific
documentation from tenants establishing eligibility for Emergency Rental Assistance
Funds, to clarify the definition of a qualifying emergency situation, and to require the
Mayor to issue regulations implementing the amended provisions of that section; and to
amend section 501 of the Rental Housing Act of 1985 to permit a court to enter a stay,
rather than require a court to enter a stay, when a tenant submits documentation to the
court demonstrating that the tenant has a pending Emergency Rental Assistance Program
application, to require housing providers to reschedule evictions in certain circumstances
involving approved Emergency Rental Assistance Program applications, and to create an
affirmative defense in eviction cases on the basis of housing providers’ noncompliance
with the Emergency Rental Assistance Program application process.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Emergency Rental Assistance Program Reform Congressional
Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025”.

Sec. 2. (a) On October 15, 2024, the Council adopted the Emergency Rental Assistance
Reform Temporary Amendment Act of 2024, effective December 17, 2024 (D.C. Law 25-253;
71 DCR 13497) (“temporary act”), which expires on July 30, 2025.
(b) The permanent measure, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program Reform
Amendment Act of 2025, enacted on May 28, 2025 (D.C. Act 26-74), will soon be pending
congressional review.
(c) Congressional review emergency legislation is necessary to prevent a gap in the law
between the expiration of the temporary act and the effective date of the permanent measure.

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia finds that the circumstances enumerated
in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Emergency Rental
Assistance Program Reform Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be
adopted after a single reading.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.