B26-0736 — Strengthening Probate Administration Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

_________________________ENROLLED ________________________ORIGINAL CouncilmemberAN CharlesACT Allen Councilmember Brooke Pinto 4 A BILL 7 ________ 9 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ___________ To amend, on an emergency basis, due to congressional review, Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the District of Columbia Official Code to amend the definition of abbreviated probate, to authorize the Register of Wills to refer proceedings to the Court to determine if one or more personal representatives should be appointed and the will be admitted to probate, and to strike the reference to will admission in transfers by affidavit;affidavit, and to allow for notice of request for formal probate, notice from a foreign personal representative of a decedent who owned any property located in the District of Columbia, and notice of appointment to interested persons, creditors and unknown heirs in a legal periodical or newspaper of general circulation in the District;

— Upon a request for abbreviated probate filed in accordance § 20-304, the Court or the Register of Wills shall appoint one or more personal representatives, except as ENROLLED ORIGINAL provided in § 20-322.

(1)“(1) ifIf the will appears to have been duly executed and contains a recital by attesting witnesses of facts constituting due execution;

or (2)“(2) uponUpon the verified statement of any person with personal knowledge of the circumstances of execution, whether or not the person was in fact an attesting witness, reciting facts showing due execution of the will.

If the Register of Wills requires additional proof, the matter maybereferredtomay theCourtbe todetermineifoneorreferred morepersonalrepresentativesshallbeappointedto the Court to determine if one or more personal representatives shall be appointed and whether the will should be admitted to probate.”.

Section 7 of the Strengthening Probate Administration Amendment Act of 2024, effectiveMarcheffectiveMarch21,2025 21,2025(D.C.Law25-302;72DCR(D.C.Law25-302;72DCR780),isamendedbyaddinganewsubsection 780),isamendedbyaddinganewsubsection (d) to read as follows:

ENROLLED ORIGINAL This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat.

___________________________________ Chairman Council of the District of Columbia _________________________________ Mayor District of Columbia 3