# District of Columbia B26-0399: Support, Opportunity, Unity, Legal Relationships (SOUL) Amendment Act of 2025 District of Columbia B26-0399, Support, Opportunity, Unity, Legal Relationships (SOUL) Amendment Act of 2025, is a Council Period 26 (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Zachary Parker (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-08-28 (Law L26-0159, Effective from Aug 14, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 012055); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-04). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0399-26 - As of: 2026-11-04 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: District of Columbia B26-0399 - State: District of Columbia - Session: Council Period 26 (2025-2026) - Title: Support, Opportunity, Unity, Legal Relationships (SOUL) Amendment Act of 2025 - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-10-06 - Last action: 2026-08-28, Law L26-0159, Effective from Aug 14, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 012055 - Sponsor: Zachary Parker (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (26 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Clear care rights for foster youth: benefit, medium. A SOUL Family agreement assigns education, health, information access, money, activity, and military-enlistment decisions, plus care duties. Unassigned rights stay with their previous holder, and youth keep the decision-making rights DC law gives them. Unless the court orders otherwise, caregivers… - Legal help for foster youth’s choices: benefit, medium. The court must appoint an attorney for the youth if their guardian ad litem does not support the SOUL agreement. That attorney represents the youth’s stated wishes. The guardian ad litem continues to represent the youth’s best interests. A caregiver can ask the Child and Family Services Agency for… - New family pathway for older foster youth: benefit, medium. The law creates SOUL, a legal family pathway for DC youth ages 16 to under 21. Youth must have been found neglected by a court and be in the Child and Family Services Agency’s custody. Only the youth can start the process. At the youth’s request, the court must change the permanency plan to SOUL un… - Housing help for youth and caregivers: benefit, medium. The Mayor can provide subsidies to SOUL youth and caregivers who provide housing, regardless of their state of residence. Payments depend on available funding, are not guaranteed, and have no amount set by this law. Eligibility ends when the youth turns 21. Through age 18 years and 6 months, housin… - Foster care return barred after 18: cost, medium. Youth who leave foster care for a SOUL Family cannot return to foster care after turning 18. This restriction applies even if their SOUL living arrangement ends or their needs change. - Private youth records carry misuse penalties: mixed, low. SOUL case records follow DC’s confidentiality rules for child-neglect records. Willfully disclosing, receiving, or using protected information against those rules is a misdemeanor. Knowingly permitting unlawful use is also covered. Penalties include a fine under DC law, up to 90 days in jail, or bo… - Safety checks for new youth caregivers: mixed, low. Proposed SOUL Caregivers must follow DC’s existing child-abuse prevention approval and background-check framework. Proposed SOUL Supporters must follow that framework when the Family Court requires their approval. These checks add safeguards for youth and approval requirements for participating adu… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Zachary Parker (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-06-02 | House | Final Reading, CC | pass | 13 | 0 | | | 2026-05-05 | House | First Reading, CC | pass | 13 | 0 | | ## Actions (16) - 2026-08-28: Law L26-0159, Effective from Aug 14, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 012055 (House) - 2026-07-03: Act A26-0346 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 009189 (House) - 2026-07-02: Transmitted to Congress (House) - 2026-06-29: Returned from Mayor (House) - 2026-06-24: Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0346 (House) - 2026-06-16: Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 01, 2026 (House) - 2026-06-02: Legislative Meeting (House) - 2026-05-05: Legislative Meeting (House) - 2026-03-26: Committee Mark-up of B26-0399 by the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee (House) - 2026-01-27: Committee Mark-up of B26-0399 by the Youth Affairs Committee (House) - 2025-11-13: Public Hearing on B26-0399 View Public Hearing Record (House) - 2025-10-24: Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register (House) - 2025-10-21: Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Judiciary and Public Safety, Youth Affairs (House) - 2025-10-10: Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0399 Published in the District of Columbia Register (House) - 2025-10-07: Referred to Committee on Youth Affairs, and Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety (House) - 2025-10-06: B26-0399 Introduced by Councilmember Parker at Office of the Secretary (House) ## Bill text - Enrollment, 2026-06-02: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/60459/Meeting2/Enrollment/B26-0399-Enrollment1.pdf?Id=239975) - Engrossment, 2026-05-05: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/60459/Meeting1/Engrossment/B26-0399-Engrossment1.pdf?Id=238314) - Introduced, 2025-10-06: [PDF](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/60459/Introduction/B26-0399-Introduction.pdf?Id=224381) ## Related bills - B26-0047: Funeral Directors Licensing Reform Amendment Act of 2025 (signed) - B26-0785: Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Rental Vehicle Sales Tax Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 (signed) - B26-0663: Fiscal Year 2026 Revised Local Budget Temporary Act of 2026 (signed) - B26-0181: Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Amendment Act of 2025 (signed) - B26-0735: Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Corrections Temporary Amendment Act of 2026 (signed) - B26-0760: Medical Cannabis Licensing and Unlicensed Establishment Enforcement Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2026 (signed) ## Sources - [Enrollment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/60459/Meeting2/Enrollment/B26-0399-Enrollment1.pdf?Id=239975) - [Engrossment (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/60459/Meeting1/Engrossment/B26-0399-Engrossment1.pdf?Id=238314) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/60459/Introduction/B26-0399-Introduction.pdf?Id=224381) ## Related - [B26-0047: Funeral Directors Licensing Reform Amendment Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0047-26) - [B26-0785: Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Rental Vehicle Sales Tax Clarification Emergency Amend…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0785-26) - [B26-0663: Fiscal Year 2026 Revised Local Budget Temporary Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0663-26) - [B26-0181: Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Amendment Act…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0181-26) - [B26-0735: Special Education for Young Adults in the Custody of the Department of Correcti…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0735-26) - [B26-0760: Medical Cannabis Licensing and Unlicensed Establishment Enforcement Clarificati…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0760-26) - [District of Columbia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/district-of-columbia/bills) - [District of Columbia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/district-of-columbia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/DC-B26-0399-26 (as of 2026-11-04).