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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 text confirms the law is an emergency act with a maximum duration of 90 days from its effective date.

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

This law stops private disability insurance companies from lowering their payments if a person also receives paid leave benefits under the District's Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits insurers from reducing short-term disability benefits based on actual or estimated paid leave amounts an individual gets under D.C. law.
  • Applies this rule to insurance policies regardless of which state or jurisdiction issued, wrote, executed, or delivered the policy.
  • Amends the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 to include this prohibition for insurers.
  • Amends the Insurance Trade and Economic Development Amendment Act of 2000 to make this rule enforceable under that law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Private disability insurance providers operating in or covering individuals in D.C.
  • Individuals who are eligible for short-term disability benefits from private policies and paid leave from the District of Columbia.
  • Self-insured employers as defined by existing D.C. law.

Terms To Know

Offset or reduce
Lowering the amount of money an insurance company pays out because the person receives other benefits.
Eligible individual
A person who meets the requirements to receive paid leave under D.C. law, as defined in section 101(6) of the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is an emergency measure and will remain in effect for no longer than 90 days after it takes effect.
  • The text does not specify a final effective date, only that it begins after approval by the Mayor or Council override of a veto.

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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