Bill
B 26-0046
Reforms DC Emergency Rental Assistance to streamline eligibility, processing, funding, and oversight, protecting tenants and supporting landlords.
Status
- Introduced: January 13, 2025 (Chairman Mendelson)
- Enacted: Signed by Mayor May 28, 2025 as Act A26-0074
- Transmitted to Congress: June 4, 2025
- Published: DC Register Vol. 72, p. 006447 (June 6, 2025)
- Law Number: L26-0020 — Effective July 18, 2025
Purpose
- The bill (now enacted as law) is titled the Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Amendment Act of 2025. Its stated intent, as reflected by the title, is to reform the District of Columbia’s emergency rental assistance framework — i.e., statutory rules, program design, administration, eligibility, or oversight pertaining to emergency rental assistance.
Confirmed legislative history and process
- Referred to the Committee on Human Services (with comments from the Committee on Housing), multiple re-referrals and notices of mark-up in January–March 2025.
- Committee mark-up and report filed March 25, 2025 by the Human Services Committee.
- Amendments: CM Frumin filed an amendment (April 1, 2025); an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (sponsored by Frumin and Parker) was filed May 6, 2025.
- Final Reading occurred May 6, 2025.
- Mayor returned the act May 29 and signed May 28 (administrative sequence reflected in record).
- Act transmitted to Congress per Home Rule Act procedures; law effective July 18, 2025.
Key provisions (document provided does not include statutory text)
- The materials supplied do not include the bill’s full text or specific statutory changes. Therefore the precise amendments to District law are not available here.
- Based on the bill title and common elements of emergency rental assistance reform, the enacted law likely addresses one or more of the following (these are typical reform areas, not confirmations of specific language):
- Eligibility criteria and documentation requirements for tenants and landlords
- Application processing timelines, prioritization, or intake procedures
- Allocation, use, or reallocation of funds; program budgeting and payment mechanisms
- Landlord participation incentives or payment guarantees
- Program oversight, reporting, audit, and data-sharing requirements among District agencies
- Protections against eviction tied to program participation
Who is affected
- Primary: District renters in housing-unstable or financially distressed situations seeking rental assistance.
- Secondary: Landlords participating in assistance programs; District agencies that administer housing and human services programs (e.g., Department of Human Services), community-based organizations that assist applicants, and the District budget/finance apparatus.
Next steps / where to find the enacted law
- The enacted text is available as Act A26-0074 and compiled as Law L26-0020 (effective July 18, 2025). For exact statutory language, implementation details, and funding amounts, consult:
- Act A26-0074 (DC Register Vol. 72, p. 006447)
- Law L26-0020 (effective July 18, 2025)
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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