Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025

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A BILL 1
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26-438 3
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 6
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__________________ 8
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To amend the Health Services Planning Program Re-establishment Act of 1996 to require the 11
Department of Health to collect certain data, and to require certain health care facilities 12
to offer financial assistance and payment plans to eligible patients; to amend section 28-13
3814 of the District of Columbia Official Code to prohibit the reporting of medical debt 14
to a credit reporting agency, and to prohibit wage garnishments and property liens to 15
collect on a medical debt; to add a new section 28-3820 of the District of Columbia 16
Official Code to prohibit health care providers from assisting patients with completing 17
applications for, or promoting, medical lending products to patients under certain 18
conditions, and to prohibit health care providers from requiring credit card authorization 19
before the date that health services are provided or costs are incurred; to make a 20
violation of the restrictions on medical lending products an unfair or deceptive trade 21
practice; to amend Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the District of Columbia Official Code to 22
limit liens for emergency health services provided by a health care facility to the lesser 23
of either the amount the patient owes after insurance claims or 33% of the total amount 24
awarded to the patient; and to amend Chapter 1 of Title 15 of the District of Columbia 25
Official Code to prevent the revival of judgments against a debtor for medical debt. 26
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 28
act may be cited as the “Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2026”. 29
Sec. 2. The Health Services Planning Program Re-establishment Act of 1996, effective 30
April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-191; D.C. Official Code § 44-401 et seq.), is amended as follows: 31
(a) The existing text is designated as Title I. 32
(b) Title I is amended as follows: 33
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(1) Section 2 (D.C. Code § 44-401) is amended by adding a new paragraph (10A) 34
to read as follows: 35
“(10A) “Health care facility-FAP” means a health care facility, excluding 36
intermediate care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, or home health agencies, that is required to 37
have a financial assistance policy under title II.”. 38
(2) Section 6 (D.C. Official Code 44-405) is amended by adding a new subsection 39
(a-2) to read as follows: 40
“(a-2) Beginning one year after the applicability date of this subsection, and annually 41
thereafter, each health care facility-FAP shall provide a written report to the Department of 42
Health on its financial assistance policy, including: 43
“(1) The number of patients who received financial assistance in the past 12 44
months, disaggregated by patients who received free and discounted care, residency, race, 45
ethnicity, age, and primary-language-spoken, if such information is available; 46
“(2) The total amount of financial assistance provided, disaggregated by amounts 47
to provide free and discounted care; 48
“(3) The total number and dollar amount of outstanding medical bills owed by 49
patients, including a list of the medical bill amount per patient and the percentage of those 50
patients who were screened for financial assistance eligibility; 51
“(4) In the past year: 52
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“(A) The number of instances the health care facility-FAP has sold 53
medical debt to a collection entity, as that term is defined in section 23(1), including the business 54
names of the collection entities; 55
“(B) The total dollar amount that has been sold to each collection entity; 56
and 57
“(C) The number of instances the health care facility-FAP or collection 58
entity acting on behalf of the heath care facility-FAP has commenced litigation against a patient 59
to collect on medical debt, including the court of law under which the litigation was commenced; 60
“(5) A description of how the health care facility-FAP is publicizing its financial 61
assistance policy and communicating to patients about eligibility; and 62
“(6) Any other information required by the Department of Health through 63
rulemaking.”. 64
(3) Section 7 (D.C. Code 44-406) is amended by adding a new subsection (e) to 65
read as follows: 66
“(e) A health care facility-FAP shall establish a financial assistance policy in accordance 67
with title II to remain in good standing for its certificate of need.”. 68
(c) A new Title II is added to read as follows: 69
“TITLE II. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND MEDICAL DEBT. 70
“Sec. 23. Definitions. 71
“For the purposes of this title, the term: 72
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“(1) “Collection entity” means a person that purchases medical debt or collects 73
medical debt on behalf of another. 74
“(2) “Consumer reporting agency” shall have the same meaning as provided in 75
section 603(f) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, approved October 26, 1970 (84 Stat. 1128; 15 76
U.S.C. § 1681a(f)). 77
“(3) “External review” means a review of an adverse benefit determination, as 78
that term is defined in section 101(1) of the Health Benefits Plan Members Bill of Rights Act of 79
1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-274; D.C. Official Code § 44-301.01(1)). 80
“(4) “Financial assistance policy” means the policy required by section 24. 81
“(5) “Medical debt” means a debt, including a bill that is not past due, owed by a 82
patient to a health care provider for the provision of medical services, products, or devices. The 83
term “medical debt” does not include charges to a credit card for the provision of medical 84
services, products, or devices, unless the credit card is a medical lending product. 85
“(6) “Medical lending product” means any third-party financing, including a 86
medical credit card or installment loan, issued under an open-end or closed-end credit plan 87
offered specifically for the payment of medical services, products, or devices provided to a 88
patient. 89
“(7) “Medically necessary health service” means a health service, including 90
pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and plastic surgery designed to correct disfigurement caused 91
by injury, illness, or congenital defect or deformity, provided by a health care provider to a 92
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patient that is necessary to prevent, diagnose or treat an illness, injury, condition or disease, or 93
the symptoms of an illness, injury, condition or disease, and meets accepted standards of 94
medicine. The term “medically necessary health service” does not include elective cosmetic 95
surgery. 96
“(8) “Patient” means an individual who received medical services, products, or 97
devices, including an individual’s parent or legal guardian if the individual is a minor, legal 98
guardian if the individual is an adult under guardianship, or an individual’s legally appointed 99
healthcare agent. 100
“Sec. 24. Financial assistance policy requirements. 101
“(a)(1) Each health care facility-FAP shall establish a financial assistance policy to 102
provide financial assistance for medically necessary health services to eligible patients residing 103
within the facility’s defined primary service area. 104
“(2) The financial assistance policy shall include: 105
“(A) Eligibility criteria; 106
“(B) The health care facility-FAP’s basis for calculating amounts charged 107
to patients; 108
“(C) The application process, including the information and 109
documentation needed for the application; 110
“(D) The application review process, including the maximum number of 111
days needed to determine a patient’s eligibility; 112
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“(E) The process for a patient to dispute an adverse financial assistance 113
decision; 114
“(F) The billing and collections policy, including possible actions in the 115
event of non-payment; and 116
“(G) The process to ensure patients have access to, and understand, the 117
financial assistance policy. 118
“(3) The financial assistance policy may not discriminate on the basis of a 119
patient’s health insurance coverage status, citizenship or immigration status, or assets. 120
“(b) A health care facility-FAP shall make its financial assistance policy, including a 121
user-friendly summary, publicly available, including by: 122
“(1) Posting the policy in a prominent location on its website; 123
“(2) Providing written notice of the policy to patients in their preferred language 124
during the intake and registration process and discharge, which shall be available in all languages 125
for which the Department of Health would be required to provide translation of vital documents 126
under section 4 of the Language Access Act of 2004, effective June 19, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-167; 127
D.C. Official Code § 2-1933); 128
“(3) Posting notice of the availability of financial assistance and instructions to 129
apply: 130
“(A) In high traffic areas, including the emergency department, billing 131
office, waiting area, and other outpatient settings; and 132
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“(B) On bills and statements; and 133
“(4) A disclaimer in the application materials that the patient is not required to 134
pay the medical bill until a decision on their application has been rendered, in accordance with 135
section 25(c). 136
“Sec. 25. Eligibility for financial assistance. 137
“(a) Except in emergency circumstances, a health care facility-FAP shall inform patients 138
of the following before the provision of a medically necessary health service: 139
“(1) If the patient is uninsured, a good faith estimate of the cost of the health 140
service; and 141
“(2) If the patient is insured, a good faith estimate of the patient’s cost-sharing 142
responsibilities under the patient’s health insurance plan. 143
“(b)(1) A health care facility shall affirmatively offer to screen a patient for financial 144
assistance if the patient: 145
“(A) Is uninsured; 146
“(B) Is participating in a federal or local public assistance program, 147
including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Special Supplemental Nutrition 148
Program for Women, Infants, and Children, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, National 149
School Lunch Program free or reduced price meals, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 150
Program, Medicaid, or DC Healthcare Alliance; 151
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“(C) Is experiencing homelessness or is at risk of homelessness, as those 152
terms are defined in the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2025, effective October 22, 2005 153
(D.C. Law 16-35; D.C. Official Code § 4–751.01); 154
“(D) Was previously determined to be eligible for financial assistance by 155
the health care facility-FAP in the prior 6-month period; provided, that the patient’s income or 156
insurance status has not changed during that time; or 157
“(E) Satisfies any other criteria established by the Department of Health 158
through rulemaking. 159
“(2) A health care facility-FAP shall affirmatively screen a patient for financial 160
assistance if a member of the patient’s household satisfies paragraph (1)(B) or (E) of this 161
subsection. 162
“(3) A patient who is screened for financial assistance eligibility under paragraph 163
(1) of this subsection shall be deemed eligible for financial assistance if they submit an 164
application for financial assistance and provide documentation that they satisfy at least one of the 165
criteria under paragraph (1) of this subsection. 166
“(c) If a patient does not meet any of the criteria in subsection (b)(1) of this section, the 167
health care facility-FAP shall screen the patient for financial assistance eligibility upon request 168
and determine a patient’s eligibility for financial assistance using: 169
“(1) The following proofs of income: 170
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“(A) The patient’s most recent available tax return; except, that the health 171
care facility-FAP shall exclude any medical expense deductible; 172
“(B) Two recent pay stubs from all adults in the patient’s household 173
showing year-to-date income; 174
“(C) Proof of enrollment in a public benefits program; or 175
“(D) Other documentation of household income identified through 176
rulemaking; and 177
“(2) Documentation of proof of residency, including a utility bill, pay stub, bank 178
statement, government-issued identification, or attestation from a homeless shelter. 179
“(d) A health care facility-FAP shall provide a patient, including the patient’s 180
representative if the patient is deceased and died intestate, with the opportunity to file an 181
application for financial assistance for up to 240 days after the date of the first posted medical 182
bill; provided, that a patient who is the subject of a collection activity by the facility or a 183
collection entity may submit an application for financial assistance at any time and the health 184
care facility-FAP or collection entity shall cease collection activity until the health care facility-185
FAP renders a decision on the application, including a determination on the amount of medical 186
debt owed, new payment plan terms, or debt cancellation. 187
“(e) A health care facility-FAP shall determine whether a patient is entitled to financial 188
assistance within 30 days after the patient files a complete financial assistance application and: 189
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“(1) If approved, notify the patient that their medical bill has been reduced or 190
eliminated, of any amount still outstanding, and on how to apply for additional financial 191
assistance for any remaining balance; or 192
“(2) If denied, notify the patient of the denial and include an explanation of the 193
basis for the denial of financial assistance and the process for appealing. 194
“(f) A patient’s refusal to be screened for financial assistance shall not be grounds for 195
refusing to provide medically necessary health services or denying financial assistance if the 196
patient later decides to apply. 197
“(g) A health care facility-FAP’s financial assistance policy shall, at a minimum, provide: 198
“(1) Free care to patients with household income of 200% or less of the federal 199
poverty level; and 200
“(2) Reduced-cost care to patients with household income of more than 200% but 201
not more than 500% of the federal poverty level by reducing the patient’s out-of-pocket expenses 202
for the health service, based on the amounts generally billed under 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5), by: 203
“(A) 75%, for a patient with household income of 201% but not more than 204
300% of the federal poverty level; 205
“(B) 60%, for a patient with household income of more than 300% but not 206
more than 400% of the federal poverty level; and 207
“(C) 40%, for a patient with household income of more than 400% but not 208
more than 500% of the federal poverty level. 209
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“(h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit or limit a health care facility 210
from: 211
“(1) Granting financial assistance notwithstanding a patient’s failure to provide 212
one of the required forms of documentation described in subsection (c) of this section; 213
“(2) Granting financial assistance to patients at income levels higher than those 214
specified in this section or to provide greater amounts of financial assistance to patients than 215
those required by this section; 216
“(3) Requiring a patient to undertake good faith efforts to apply for and enroll in 217
insurance programs for which the patient may be eligible as a condition of awarding financial 218
assistance; or 219
“(4) Coordinating insurance benefits with other states. 220
“Sec. 26. Medical expenses payment plans. 221
“(a)(1) For a patient who is approved for reduced-cost care financial assistance under 222
section 25 (“eligible patient”), a health care facility-FAP shall offer a payment plan with a 223
monthly installment payment not to exceed 3% of the patient’s monthly household income and 224
with the first payment not due until at least 30 days after the patient is discharged or finished 225
treatment at the facility; provided, that, upon written request by the patient, or if the patient 226
currently has a payment plan, within the same health care system as the health care facility-FAP, 227
with a higher monthly installment percentage, the health care facility-FAP may offer a payment 228
plan with a higher monthly installment payment. 229
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“(2) Any medical debt sold by a health care facility-FAP to a collection entity 230
shall retain the terms of the payment plan. 231
“(b)(1) A health care facility-FAP shall provide each eligible patient with: 232
“(A) An itemized medical bill; 233
“(B) A document explaining the existence of a payment plan option, the 234
eligible patient’s eligibility, and how to request a payment plan; and 235
“(C) An opportunity to discuss with staff the payment plan option prior to 236
the eligible patient being discharged. 237
“(2) An eligible patient shall have 45 days after receiving the first statement to 238
decide whether to enter a payment plan. 239
“(c) A health care facility-FAP shall provide patients who enter into a payment plan with 240
a written copy, via mail or email, of the payment plan within 21 days after the patient agrees to 241
the payment plan, which shall, at a minimum, include: 242
“(1) The total amount of debt owed, including principal, fees, and any other 243
charges; 244
“(2) The schedule of installment payments, including the expected date by which 245
the medical bill will be paid in full; and 246
“(3) Information on whether late or missed payments would incur penalties. 247
“(d) A health care facility-FAP or collection entity may accelerate a payment plan or 248
declare it in default or no longer operative if: 249
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“(1) The patient fails to make scheduled payments for at least 3 consecutive 250
months; 251
“(2) The health care facility-FAP or collection entity has made at least 3 252
reasonable attempts to contact the patient by telephone or another method of contact preferred by 253
the patient; 254
“(3) The health care facility-FAP or collection entity has provided the patient 255
written notice that the payment plan may be declared in default and with an opportunity to 256
renegotiate the payment plan; and 257
“(4) The health care facility-FAP or collection entity has made a good faith effort 258
to renegotiate the terms of the payment plan, if requested by the patient. 259
“(e) A health care facility-FAP or collection entity shall not commence a civil action 260
against the patient for nonpayment until at least 90 days after the payment plan is declared in 261
default. 262
“Sec. 27. Compliance and enforcement. 263
“(a) A violation of this title shall be considered a violation of section 17. 264
“(b) The Department of Health shall make the information reported by a health care 265
facility-FAP pursuant to section 6(a-2) and any corrective action plans or fines imposed for a 266
violation of this title publicly available. 267
“(c)(1) The Department of Health shall create a process for patients to submit a complaint 268
relating to a health care facility’s noncompliance with this title. 269
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“(2) The Department of Health shall review complaints submitted pursuant to 270
paragraph (1) of this subsection within 30 days after receipt of the complaint. 271
“(d) The Department of Health shall share information obtained pursuant to this title and 272
section 6(a-2) with the Office of the Attorney General, upon request, within 30 days after the 273
request. 274
“Sec. 28. Rulemaking. 275
“(a) No later than the applicability date of the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act 276
of 2026, , as approved by the Committee on Health on April 7, 2026 (Committee print of Bill 26-277
438), the Mayor, pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, 278
approved October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), shall issue rules 279
to implement the provisions of this title, including: 280
“(1) Minimum requirements for patient appeals regarding their eligibility for 281
financial assistance; and 282
“(2) The process for patients to submit a complaint to the Department of Health 283
pursuant to section 27(c). 284
“(b) The Department of Health shall engage with health care facilities and patient 285
advocates in the development of rules in order to minimize administrative costs for health care 286
providers and ensure a streamlined application process for patients.”. 287
Sec. 3. Section 28-3814 of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended by adding 288
a new subsection (dd) to read as follows: 289
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“(dd)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a health care provider or 290
debt collector shall not engage in medical debt collection until 180 days after the date the 291
consumer receives the first posted medical bill and provide at least 90 days’ notice to the patient 292
before commencing medical debt collection; provided, that, if the services were provided at a 293
health care facility-FAP, the health care facility-FAP or debt collector: 294
“(A) Shall include with the notice a statement that explains the availability 295
of free or discounted care for qualifying patients and the process to apply for financial assistance; 296
and 297
“(B) Shall not engage in medical debt collection against a patient who is 298
eligible for financial assistance under section 25, unless the patient has refused financial 299
assistance, or is receiving discounted care under the health care facility-FAP’s financial 300
assistance policy and has defaulted on their payment plan. 301
“(2) Interest on medical debt shall not exceed 3% annually; except, that a debt 302
collector shall not charge any interest on medical debt related to services received at a health care 303
facility-FAP if the patient is receiving financial assistance and has not defaulted. 304
“(3) If a court has entered a judgment on a medical debt authorizing a health care 305
facility-FAP or debt collector to collect on a medical debt and it is later determined that the 306
patient was not screened for financial assistance eligibility and is determined to qualify for 307
financial assistance, the health care facility-FAP or debt collector shall: 308
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“(A) Request the court to vacate the judgment in any collection lawsuit 309
over the medical debt and attempt to enter into a payment plan with the patient; 310
“(B) Request the court to reduce the amount of the judgment, including 311
any fees and costs related to the collection lawsuit, to the total amount the patient owes pursuant 312
to the financial assistance policy that the patient qualifies for, attempt to enter into a payment 313
plan with the patient, and suspend all execution on the judgment while the patient is in 314
compliance with the terms of the payment plan; 315
“(C) File a partial satisfaction of judgment such that the remaining unpaid 316
balance of the judgment, including any fees and costs related to the collection lawsuit, is equal to 317
the total amount the patient owes under the financial assistance policy that the patient qualifies 318
for, attempt to enter into a payment plan with the patient, and suspend all execution on the 319
judgment while the patient is compliant with the terms of the payment plan; or 320
“(D) File a satisfaction of judgment and refund any excess amount to the 321
patient if the patient has paid any part of the medical debt in excess of the amount that the patient 322
owes after being screened for financial assistance eligibility. 323
“(4)(A) A health care provider or debt collector who knows or should have known 324
about an appeal of a health insurance decision that is pending or was pending within the previous 325
90 days that forms the basis of the medical debt shall not: 326
“(i) Communicate with the patient regarding the unpaid charges for 327
the purpose of seeking to collect the medical debt; 328
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“(ii) Initiate a lawsuit or arbitration proceeding against the patient 329
relating to the medical debt; or 330
“(iii) Refer, sell, or send the medical debt to a debt buyer. 331
“(B) For the purposes of this paragraph, an appeal of a health insurance 332
decision includes: 333
“(i) An appeal or grievance filed with an insurer for a review of a 334
decision to deny, reduce, limit, terminate, or delay covered health services; 335
“(ii) An independent medical review by the health care provider 336
providing medical services; 337
“(iii) An appeal regarding Medicare coverage consistent with 338
federal law and regulations; or 339
“(iv) An appeal or request for an external review. 340
“(5) A health care provider or debt collector collecting on medical debt shall not: 341
“(A) File a property lien against a patient’s primary residence, or 342
“(B) Garnish the wages of a patient with an annual household income less 343
than 500% of the federal poverty level. 344
“(6)(A) A health care provider or debt collector shall not report to a consumer 345
reporting agency the amount or existence of any medical debt that a patient owes. 346
“(B) Subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall not be construed to 347
otherwise limit a consumer reporting agency from reporting known debts. 348
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“(7) For purposes of this subsection, the term: 349
“(A) “Health care facility-FAP” shall have the same meaning as provided 350
in section 2(10A) of the Health Services Planning Program Re-establishment Act of 1996, 351
effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-191; D.C. Official Code § 44-401(10A). 352
“(B) “Health care provider” means a person whose primary business is to 353
provide medical services, products, or devices, including a health care facility, as that term is 354
defined in section 2(10) of the Health Services Planning Program Re-establishment Act of 1996, 355
effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-191; D.C. Official Code § 44-401(10)). 356
“(C) “Medical debt” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 357
23(5) of the Health Services Planning Program Re-establishment Act of 1996, approved by the 358
Committee on Health on April 7, 2026 (Committee print of Bill 26-438). 359
“(D) “Medical debt collection” means debt collection of medical debt. 360
The term “medical debt collection” does not include the act of posting the first medical bill, 361
sending monthly statements, or an attempt to verify insurance coverage or eligibility.”. 362
Sec. 4. Title 28 of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended as follows: 363
(a) Chapter 38 is amended as follows: 364
(1) A new section 28-3820 is added to read as follows: 365
Ҥ 28-3820. Prohibition on certain medical lending promotion. 366
“(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “medical lending product” shall have the 367
same meaning as provided in section 23(6). 368
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“(b) A health care provider, as that term is defined in § 28-3814(dd), shall not: 369
“(1) Complete, or assist a patient in completing, any portion of an application for 370
a medical lending product; 371
“(2) Promote a medical lending product to a patient who: 372
“(A) Is under the influence of general anesthesia, conscious sedation, or 373
moderation sedation, including any period in which the patient has been advised not to engage in 374
activities due to such influence; 375
“(B) Is being administered treatment; or 376
“(C) Is in a treatment area, including an exam room, surgical room, or 377
other area where medical treatment is administered, unless an area separated from the treatment 378
area does not exist on site; 379
“(3) Charge a medical lending product for a medical procedure before the date of 380
the procedure or before costs have been incurred; 381
“(4) Charge a medical lending product or another form of credit when the 382
patient’s insurance, including Medicaid, will cover the services, unless the amount is for a copay, 383
deductible, or co-insurance; 384
“(5) Require credit card pre-authorization or require the patient to have a credit 385
card on file prior to administering emergency health services; or 386
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“(6) If the services were provided at a health care facility-FAP, offer a medical 387
lending product or another form of credit until the health care facility-FAP has offered or 388
conducted a financial assistance eligibility screening pursuant to section 25.”. 389
(b) Chapter 39 is amended as follows: 390
(1) Section 28–3904 is amended as follows: 391
(A) Subsection (ll) is amended to read as follows: 392
“(ll) violate any provision of Chapter 54 of this title; or”. 393
(B) Subsection (mm) is amended to read as follows: 394
“(mm) violate any provision of D.C. Code § 28-3820.”. 395
(C) Subsection (nn) is repealed. 396
(2) Section 28–3909(a) is amended by striking the phrase “28-3819, 28-3851” and 397
inserting the phrase “28-3819, 28-3820, 28-3851” in its place. 398
Sec. 5. Section 1 of An Act To establish a lien for moneys due hospitals for services 399
rendered in cases caused by negligence or fault of others and providing for the recording and 400
enforcing of such liens, approved June 30, 1939 (53 Stat. 990; D.C. Official Code § 40-201), is 401
amended as follows: 402
(a) Designate the existing text as subsection (a). 403
(b) Subsection (a) is amended by striking the phrase “have a lien upon that part going or 404
belonging to such patient, of any recovery or sum had or collected or to be collected by such 405
patient” and inserting the phrase “have a lien upon that part going or belonging to such patient, 406
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of any recovery or sum had or collected or to be collected by such patient; provided, that the lien 407
shall not exceed 33% of the award” in its place. 408
(c) A new subsection (b) is added to read as follows: 409
“(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a lien recorded against a patient with 410
health insurance injured by reason of an accident shall be limited to the amount of the patient’s 411
responsibility under their health insurance policy if the insurance claim is paid or the negotiated 412
amount with the health insurer if the claim is not paid.”. 413
Sec. 6. Section 15-103 of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended as follows: 414
(a) Designate the existing text as subsection (a). 415
(b) A new subsection (b) is added to read as follows: 416
“(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, an order of revival shall not be 417
granted for a judgment or decree to enforce the collection of medical debt, as that term is defined 418
in section 23(5).”. 419
Sec. 7. Applicability. 420
(a) This act shall apply 6 months after the date of inclusion of its fiscal effect in an 421
approved budget and financial plan. 422
(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in 423
an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council 424
of the certification. 425
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(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in 426
the District of Columbia Register. 427
(2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the 428
applicability of this act. 429
Sec. 8. Fiscal impact statement. 430
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 431
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 432
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 433
Sec. 9. Effective date. 434
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 435
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional 436
review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 437
December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 438