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B26-0159 • 2025

PrEP DC Act of 2025

PrEP DC Act of 2025

Healthcare
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Parker
Last action
2026-05-21
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text cites the act as 'PrEP DC Amendment Act of 2026' in Section 1, while metadata refers to it as 'PrEP DC Act of 2025'. The explanation uses the title from the provided candidate and metadata.

PrEP DC Act of 2025

This law stops health insurers in Washington, D.C., from using HIV prevention medication use to deny coverage or raise costs and creates a special fund for the DC Health and Wellness Center.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits insurers from considering a person's use of PrEP or PEP when deciding whether to issue disability, life, or long-term care insurance policies.
  • Bans health plans from adding cost-sharing fees, requiring prior authorization, or placing medically unnecessary restrictions on HIV prevention services and medications for plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027.
  • Forbids the use of prescription records for HIV prevention treatment as a factor in medical underwriting for individual patients.
  • Establishes an ongoing fund called the DC Health and Wellness Center Fund to collect payments from insurance reimbursements and out-of-pocket costs paid for services at the center and affiliated clinics.
  • Requires that money collected in this new fund be spent only on operating the DC Health and Wellness Center and its affiliated clinics.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health benefit plans and health insurers offering coverage in Washington, D.C.
  • Individuals who use HIV prevention medications such as PrEP or PEP.
  • The Department of Health which administers the new DC Health and Wellness Center Fund.

Terms To Know

PrEP
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, an FDA-approved medication used to prevent HIV in people who do not have HIV.
PEP
Post-exposure prophylaxis, an FDA-approved medication used to prevent HIV after a person may have been recently exposed to the virus.
Medical underwriting
The process insurers use to evaluate risk and decide on coverage terms or prices for specific individuals.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Rules regarding cost-sharing do not apply if removing those costs would disqualify a person from using a health savings account under federal law.
  • The new insurance protections generally apply to plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law Number L26-0115 Effective from May 21, 2026

  2. 2026-04-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2026-03-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0277 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 005066

  4. 2026-03-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2026-03-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0277

  6. 2026-03-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Mar 24, 2026

  7. 2026-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  9. 2026-01-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referral published.

  10. 2026-01-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referred to Committee on Health

  11. 2026-01-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referral published.

  12. 2026-01-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referred to Committee on Health, and Committee of the Whole

  13. 2025-12-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0159 by the Health Committee

  14. 2025-10-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Public Hearing on B26-0159

  15. 2025-10-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register

  16. 2025-10-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Health

  17. 2025-03-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referral published.

  18. 2025-03-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Re-Referred to Committee on Health, and Committee on Business and Economic Development

  19. 2025-03-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0159 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  20. 2025-03-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Business and Economic Development with comments from the Committee on Health

  21. 2025-02-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0159 Introduced by Councilmember Parker at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

PrEP DC Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-277
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARCH 20, 2026
‘ToamendtheProhibitionofDiscriminationintheProvisionofInsuranceActof1986toprohibithealthbenefitplansandhealthinsurersfromfactoringtheuseofHIVpreventiontreatmentindecisionsrelatedtotheissuanceofdisability,life,orlong-termcare
insurancepolicies,imposingcostsharing,priorauthorization,ormedicallyunnecessaryrestrictionsonHIVpreventionservices,PEP,oranyformulationofPrEP,andusingprescriptioninformationforHIVpreventiontreatmentformedicalunderwritingforindividualpatients;andtoamendtheDepartmentofHealthFunctionsClarificationActof 2001toestablishanon-lapsingDC HealthandWellnessCenterFundtocollect,
revenuefrominsuranceandout-of-pocketcostspaidforservicesprovidedbytheDCHealthandWellnessCenterandaffiliatedclinics,andtorequirethefindsbespentsolely
ontheoperationsoftheDC HealthandWellnessCenterandaffiliatedclinics.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“PrEP DC Amendment Actof 2026”.
Sec.2.TheProhibitionofDiscriminationintheProvisionofInsuranceActof1986,effectiveAugust7,1986(D.C.Law6-132;D.C.OfficialCode§31-1601efseg.),isamendedas
follows:(a)Section2(D.C.OfficialCode§31-1601)isamendedasfollows:(1)Newparagraphs(2A)and(2B)areaddedtoreadasfollows:(2A)“Baselineassessment”meansanytesting,asrecommendedbytheU.S.CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,tobecompletedbeforeprescribingHIVprevention
medication,includingscreeningtestsforchlamydia,gonorrhea,syphilis,kidneyfunction
assessments,hepatitisB virusserology,andlipidprofiles.“(2B)“Commissioner”meanstheCommissioneroftheDepartmentofInsurance,
Securities,andBanking.”(2)A newparagraph(3B)isaddedtoreadasfollows:“(@B)“Healthbenefitplan”shallhavethesamemeaningasprovidedinsection101(20)oftheHealthInsurancePortabilityandAccountabilityFederalLawConformityandNo-
1

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
FaultMotor VehicleInsuranceAct of 1998,effectiveApril13,1999 (D.C.Law 12-209;D.C.
Code§31-3301.01(20)).”.
(3)New paragraphs(5A)and(5B)areaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(SA)“HIVpreventionservices”meansmedicalservicestopreventHIVand
AIDS,includingbaselineassessments,initialandfollow-upappointmentsandservices,
medicationforthemanagement of sideeffectsassociatedwith PrEP and PEP, and medication
self-managementoradherencecounseling.
“(5B) “HIV preventiontreatment”means medicaltreatmentused topreventHIV,
includingPrEP, PEP, and HIV preventionservices.”.
(4)Newparagraphs(7A)and(7B)areaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(7A)“PrEP”meanspre-exposureprophylaxisantiretroviralmedicationapproved
by theU.S. Food and Drug Administration(“FDA”) used topreventHIV ina personwithout
HIV.
(7B)“PEP”meanspost-exposureprophylaxisantiretroviralmedicationapproved
bytheFDAusedtopreventHIVinapersonwithoutHTVwhomayhavebeenrecentlyexposed
to HIV.”.
(b)Section4 (D.C.OfficialCode § 31-1603)isamended as follows:
(1)Subsection(b)isamended to readas follows:
“(b)(1)Indeterminingwhethertoissue,cancel,orrenewinsurancecoverage,aninsurer
maynot:
“(A)Useage,maritalstatus,geographicareaofresidence,occupation,
sex,sexualorientation,genderidentityorexpression,oranysimilarfactororcombinationof
factorsforthepurposeofseekingtopredictwhetheranyindividualmayinthefuturedevelop
AIDS or ARC; or
“(B)Take intoconsiderationan individual’suse of HIV prevention
treatmentwhen takenpursuantto avalid prescriber’sorder.
“(2)Indeterminingrates,premiums, dues,assessments,benefitscovered,or
expensesreimbursable,orinanyotheraspectofinsurancemarketingorcoverage,aninsurer
maynot:
“(A)Useage,maritalstatus,geographicareaofresidence,occupation,
sex,sexualorientation,genderidentityorexpression,orany similarfactororcombinationof
factorsforthepurposeofseekingtopredictwhetheranyindividualmay inthefuturedevelop
AIDS or ARC; or
“(B)Take intoconsiderationan individual’suse of HIV prevention
treatmentwhen takenpursuantto a validprescriber’sorder.”.
(2)Subsection(c)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(c)No healthor disabilityinsurancepolicyor contractshallcontainany exclusion,
reduction,otherlimitationof coverage,deductibles,or coinsuranceprovisionsrelatedtoHIV
preventiontreatmentorthecareand treatmentof AIDS, ARC, HIV infection,or any illnessor
2

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
diseasearisingfromthesemedicalconditions,unlesstheprovisionsapplygenerallytoall
benefitsunderthepolicyorcontract.”
(c)Section5 (D.C.OfficialCode § 31-1604)isamended as follows:
(1)Subsection(a)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Paragraph(1)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“DistrictofColumbia
Commissioner of PublicHealth(“Commissioner”)”and insertingthephrase“Directorof the
DepartmentofHealth(“Director”)”initsplace.
(B)Paragraph(2)isamendedbystrikingtheword“Commissioner”and
insertingtheword“Director”initsplace.
(2)Subsection(b)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Paragraph(1)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(b)(1)A namedinsuredwhotestspositiveunderthetestingprotocolcertifiedbythe
Directormay appealtotheCommissioner toreviewthetestingproceduresand results,and may
presentadditionalmedicalevidence,includingtheresultsofsimilartestsforexposuretothe
probablecausativeagentof AIDS thatthenamed insuredindependentlyobtains,to rebutthe
positivetestresults.IftheCommissionerdeterminesthattheresultofthetestoftheproposed
insuredisnota truepositive,theCommissioner shallordertheinsurerfrom which theapplicant
soughtcoveragetodisregardthepositivetestresult.TheCommissionershall,whennecessary,
requesttheadviceoftheDirectorinmakingthisdetermination.”.
(B) Paragraph(3)isamended by strikingtheword “Commissioner” and
insertingtheword“Director”initsplace.
(@)Section9(D.C.OfficialCode§31-1608)isamendedbyaddinganewsubsection(b-
1)toreadasfollows:
“(b-1)Any personwho violatessection4 shallbe finednotlessthan$1,000,and not
more than$10,000foreach violation.”.
(e)Section10 (D.C. OfficialCode § 31-1609)isamended as follows:
(1)Theexistingtextisdesignatedassubsection(2).
(2)Anew subsection(b)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(b)The Mayor, pursuantto TitleI oftheDistrictof Columbia AdministrativeProcedure
Act,approved October21, 1968 (82 Stat.1204; D.C.OfficialCode § 2-501 efseq.),may issue
rulesto implement theprovisionsof section12.”.
(f)A new section12 isadded to readasfollows:
“Sec.12.Coverage forHIV preventiontreatment.
“(a)(1)Except as otherwiseprovidedinsubsection(b)of thissection,forhealthbenefit
plansissuedorrenewedonorafterJanuary1,2027,aninsurermaynotimposecostsharing,
requirepriorauthorization,orimposeanymedicallyunnecessaryrestrictionsordelaysforthe
coverageof HIV preventionservices,PEP, or any formulationof PrEP. _ “(b)Subsection(a)of
thissectionshallnot applytotheextentthatcoveragewithoutcost-sharingwould disqualifyan
individualreceivingcoverageunder a high deductiblehealthplanfrom eligibilityfora health
3

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
savingsaccountpursuantto26U.S.C.§223.
“(c)No healthbenefitplanorinsurermayuseprescriptioninformationindicatingtheuse
ofHIVpreventiontreatmenttomedicallyunderwritepremiumsforspecificenrollees.
“(d)Forthepurposesofthissection,theterm“medicallyunnecessaryrestrictions”means
steptherapy,waitingperiods,orpreexistingconditionexclusions.”
Sec.3.TheDepartmentofHealthFunctionsClarificationActof2001,effectiveOctober3,2001(D.C.Law14-28;D.C,OfficialCode§7-731efseq.),isamendedbyaddinganew
section4907gtoreadasfollows:“Sec,4907g.DC HealthandWellnessCenterFund.“(a)ThereisestablishedasaspecialfundtheDC HealthandWellnessCenterFund(“Fund”),whichshallbeadministeredbytheDepartmentofHealthinaccordancewithsubsection(¢)ofthissection.“(b)AllpaymentsmadeforservicesrenderedattheDC HealthandWellnessCenterand
affiliatedclinicsshallbedepositedintheFund,including:“(1)Paymentsreceivedfromthird-partyinsurancereimbursements;“(2)Out-of-pocketpaymentscollectedfromindividuals;and“(3)Othercollections.“(c)MoneyintheFundshallbeusedsolelytosupporttheoperationsoftheDC Health
andWellnessCenterandaffiliatedclinies.“(d)(1)ThemoneydepositedintotheFund,includinganyinterestearned,butnotexpendedinafiscalyearshallnotreverttotheunassignedfundbalanceoftheGeneralFundoftheDistrictofColumbiaattheendof fiscalyear,oratanyothertime.
(2)Subjecttoauthorizationinanapprovedbudgetandfinancialplan,anyfundsappropriatedintheFundshallbecontinuallyavailablewithoutregardtofiscalyearlimitation.”.
Sec.4,Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5,Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreview
asprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)(1)).
LPCouncilofthe Districtof Columbia

DistrictlofColumBia_APPROVEDMARCH 20, 2026
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON,DC,20004
DockstNo,826-0159
[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XTACTION FirstReading
[DavoTEDATE February3,2026
[x7VOICEVOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT

[]ROLLCALLVOTE-Resuit

‘CouncMember [Aye[Nayww [AB[Ree|CouncMember|Aye[Nay[NW]AB[Rec|Counct!Member[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Ree
ChairmanMendelson]x Frumin x Pinto x
‘Alen x Henderson|X .Wie x
Bonds x LewisGeowe |X Tite x
Craword x Nadeau x
Folder x Parker x
X-IndleateVote A= Absent “ONV=Presont,NotVoting
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
2a aeraSeoreianoteCounet Date
DocketNo.B26-0159
UX] ITEM ON CONSENT CALENDAR:
[LX]ACTION FinalReading,CC
[X1VOTEDATE March3,2028
[LX]VOICE VOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE~Resuit

GounciMember’-.[Aye[Nay[NV[AB [Rec[CounaiMember:[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Ree[GouncitMember[Aye[Nay|Nv [AB[Reo
GhalrmanMendelson) Frain x Pinto
‘Alen x Henderson x R.wite
Bonds x LewisGeorge_| x T.wnite
Crawtord x Nadeau x
x Parker x
eae -NV=Present,NotVoting
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
SecretarytotheCounal