Code of the District of Columbia

§ 19–701. Escheatment.

(a) When there is no surviving spouse, surviving domestic partner, or relation of the intestate within the fifth degree, reckoned by counting down from the common ancestor to the more remote, the surplus of real and personal property escheats to the District of Columbia to be deposited in the Escheatment Fund, established by subsection (b) of this section.

(b)(1) There is established as a special fund the Escheatment Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by the Department of Human Services in accordance with subsection (3) of this section.

(2) All cash, including real or personal property reduced to cash, received or obtained by the District pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be deposited in the Fund.

(3) Money in the Fund shall be used for emergency assistance grants described in § 4-753.01(e).

(4)(A) The money deposited into the Fund but not expended in a fiscal year shall not revert to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, or at any other time.

(B) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.

(c) For the purposes of this section, the term "domestic partner" shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(3).