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B26-0573 • 2025

Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Lewis George
Last action
2026-02-27
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about penalties for non-compliance by insurance companies.

Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This act clarifies that private disability insurance companies cannot reduce short-term disability benefits based on paid leave benefits from the District of Columbia, regardless of where the policy was issued.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that private disability insurers cannot lower short-term disability payments because someone might get paid leave benefits from the District of Columbia.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have private disability insurance in the District of Columbia
  • Insurance companies providing short-term disability coverage

Terms To Know

Eligible individual
A person who can get benefits under a law or policy.
Self-insured employer
An employer that pays for its own workers' disability insurance instead of buying it from an insurance company.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act only applies to the District of Columbia and not other places.
  • It is set to expire in 90 days unless further action is taken by the Council.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0260 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 002689, Expires on May 14, 2026

  2. 2026-02-19 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2026-02-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0260, Expires on May 14, 2026

  4. 2026-02-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Feb 24, 2026

  5. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2026-01-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0573 Introduced by Councilmember Lewis George at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-260
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
FEBRUARY 13, 2026
Toamend,onanemergencybasis,theUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof2016toprohibitprivatedisabilityinsuranceprovidersfromreducingshort-termdisabilitybenefitsbased
onactualorestimatedpaidleavebenefitstowhichaneligibleindividualmaybeentitledtofromtheDistrict,regardlessofthejurisdictioninwhichtheinsurancepolicywas
issuedorwritten:andtoamendtheInsuranceTradeandEconomicDevelopmentAmendmentActof2000tomaketheprohibitiononoffsettingorreducingbenefitsunderaprivatemarketshort-termdisabilityinsurancepolicybasedonestimatedoractual
benefitsreceivedundertheUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof2016enforceableunderthatlaw,regardlessofthejurisdictioninwhichtheinsurancepolicywasissuedorwritten.
BEIT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmaybecitedasthe“Short-TermDisabilityInsuranceBenefitProtectionClarification
EmergencyAmendmentActof2026”.
Sec.2.Section107()(1)oftheUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof2016,effectiveApril7,2017(D.C.Law21-264;D.C.OfficialCode§32-541.07()(1)),isamendedtoreadas
follows:
“G)(1)No insurermay offsetorreducebenefitsor income availabletoan eli
individualunderanindividualorgrouppolicyfortemporaryorshort-termdisabilityinsurancebasedonestimatedoractualbenefitstheeligibleindividualmayordoesreceiveunderthisact,regardlessofthejurisdictioninwhichsuchpolicywasissued,executed,written,ordelivered.”.

Sec.3,Section120atheInsuranceTradeandEconomicDevelopmentAmendmentActof2000,effectiveNovember13,2021(D.C.Law24-45;D.C.OfficialCode§31-2231.20a),isamendedasfollows:(a)Subsection(a)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(a)Noinsurermayoffsetorreducebenefitsorincomeavailabletoaneligibleindividualunderatemporaryorshort-termdisabilityinsurancepolicy,basedonestimatedoractualbenefitstheeligibleindividualmayordoesreceiveundertheUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof
1

ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
2016,effectiveApril7,2017 (D.C.Law 21-264;D.C. OfficialCode § 32-541.01efseq.),
regardlessof inwhich jurisdictionsuch policywas executed,written,or delivered.”.
(b)Subsection(c)isamended toreadas follows:
“(c)For thepurposesofthis section,theterm:
“(1)“Eligibleindividual”shallhave thesame meaning as providedin section
101(6)of theUniversalPaidLeave Amendment Actof 2016, effectiveApril7,2017 (D.C.Law
21-264;D.C.OfficialCode§32-541.01(6)).
“(2)“Self-insuredemployer” shallhave thesame meaning as providedinsection
101(19A) of theUniversalPaid Leave Amendment Actof 2016,effectiveApril7,2017 (D.C.
Law 21-264;D.C.OfficialCode§32-541.01(19A)).”.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.
This actshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalby theMayor (orintheeventof vetoby the
Mayor, actionby theCounciltooverridetheveto),and shallremain ineffectforno longerthan
90 days,as providedforemergency actsof theCouncilof theDistrictof Columbia insection
412(a)of theDistrictof Columbia Home Rule Act,approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat.788;
D.C. OfficialCode § 1-204.12(a)).
‘hairman
CounciloftheDistrictofColumbia

APPROVEDFEBRUARY 13, 2026

COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0573

[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
[XJACTION FinalReading
[DQVOTEDATE February3,2026
(VOICEvoTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ASSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE-Result

CounciiMember [Aye[Nay|Nv[AB[Rec|CouncMember[aye[Nay|Nv|B [Rec]CouncilMember| Aye[NayNV
ChairmanMendelson]x Frumin x Pinto x
Allon x Henderson x R.White x
Bonds x LewisGeorge| x T.Wnite x
Doni x Nadeau x
Felder x Parker x
X-IndicateVote AB ~Absent NV-Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
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