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B26-0574 • 2025

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

Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification Temporary 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
2026-05-21
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official metadata lists an expiration date of January 1, 2027, while the bill text states it expires after 225 days from taking effect. The exact effective date depends on mayoral approval and a congressional review period.

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

This temporary law stops private disability insurance companies from lowering benefits because a person receives paid leave money from the District, and it makes this rule apply to policies written anywhere.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits insurers from reducing short-term disability payments based on actual or estimated paid leave benefits an individual gets under D.C. law.
  • Applies this prohibition regardless of which state or jurisdiction issued the insurance policy.
  • Amends the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 to include these new protections for eligible individuals.
  • Updates the Insurance Trade and Economic Development Amendment Act of 2000 to make the rule enforceable under that law as well.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Private disability insurance providers who issue individual or group policies.
  • Eligible individuals in the District of Columbia who receive short-term disability benefits and paid leave benefits.
  • Self-insured employers covered by the referenced acts.

Terms To Know

Offset
Reducing one payment because a person receives another type of benefit or income.
Eligible individual
A person who qualifies for benefits under the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016, as defined in that law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is temporary and expires exactly 225 days after it takes effect.
  • The specific dollar amounts or calculation methods for benefits are not changed by this text; only the rule about reducing them based on paid leave is addressed.

Bill History

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

    Law Number L26-0117 Effective from May 21, 2026, Expires on Jan 01, 2027

  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 A26-0278 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 005071

  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 A26-0278

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

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0574 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  9. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  10. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  11. 2026-01-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0574 Introduced by Councilmember Lewis George at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

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

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-278
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
MARCH 20, 2026
To amend, on a temporarybasis,theUniversalPaid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 toprohibit
privatedisabilityinsuranceprovidersfromreducingshort-termdisabilitybenefitsbased
on actualor estimatedpaidleavebenefitstowhich an eligibleindividualmay be entitled
tofromtheDistrict,regardlessofthejurisdictioninwhichtheinsurancepolicywas
issuedor written;and to amend theInsuranceTrade and Economic Development
Amendment Act of 2000 tomake theprohibitionon offsettingor reducingbenefitsunder
a privatemarket short-termdisabilityinsurancepolicybased on estimatedor actual
benefitsreceivedunder theUniversalPaid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 enforceable
under thatlaw,regardlessof the jurisdictioninwhich theinsurancepolicywas issuedor
written,
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“Short-TermDisabilityInsuranceBenefitProtectionClarification‘TemporaryAmendmentActof2026”.
See,2,Section107())(1)oftheUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof2016,effectiveApril7,2017(D.C.Law21-264;D.C,OfficialCode§32-541.07G)(1)),isamendedtoreadasfollows:“((1)Noinsurermayoffsetorreducebenefitsorincomeavailabletoaneligibleindividualunderanindividualorgrouppolicyfortemporaryorshort-termdisabilityinsurance
basedonestimatedoractualbenefitstheeligibleindividualmayordoesreceiveunderthisact,regardlessofthejurisdictioninwhichsuchpolicywasissued,executed,written,ordelivered.”.
Sec. 3. Section 120a the Insurance Trade and Economic Development Amendment Act of
2000, effectiveNovember 13, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-45; D.C. OfficialCode § 31-2231.20a),is
amended as follows:
(a)Subsection (a)isamended to read as follows:
“(a)No insurermay offsetor reduce benefitsor income availableto an eligibleindividual
underatemporaryorshort-termdisabilityinsurancepolicy,basedonestimatedoractualbenefits
1
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
theeligibleindividualmayordoesreceiveundertheUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof2016,effectiveApril7,2017(D.C.Law21-264;D.C.OfficialCode§32-541.01efseq.),regardlessofinwhichjurisdictionsuchpolicywasexecuted,written,ordelivered.”
(b)Subsection(¢)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(c)Forthepurposesofthissection,theterm:(1)“Eligibleindividual”shallhavethesamemeaningasprovidedinsection101(6)oftheUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof2016,effectiveApril7,2017(D.C.Law21-264;D.C.OfficialCode§32-541.01(6)).
(2)“Self-insuredemployer”shallhavethesamemeaningasprovidedinsection101(19A)oftheUniversalPaidLeaveAmendmentActof2016,effectiveApril7,2017(D.C.Law21-264;D.C.OfficialCode§32-541.01(19A)).”.
See.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat,2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a)..
See.5.Effectivedate.(a)ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetoby
theMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(¢)(1)).(b)Thisactshallexpireafter225daysofitshavingtakeneffect.
airman,
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

MARCH 20, 2026
COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0574
[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
ACTION

FirstReading
[x1VOTEDATE February3,2028
{X1VOICEVOTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
‘ABSENT
[ROLLCALLVOTE-Result

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X-IndicateVote AB ~Absent NV- Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
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DocketNo.26-0574
1X]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR

[DACTION FinalReading,CC
(XdVOTEDATE March3,2026
[Xx]Voicevore Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[ROLLCALLVOTE—Result

CounsMember|Aye[Nay[Nv]AB![Reo|GounaMember[Aye[Nay]NV[AB|Reé|GounclMember[aye[NayChairmanMendson]X Frumin x Pinto
‘Alen x Henderson|X White
Bonds x LewisGoowme| x Two
Crawford x Nadeau x
Felder x Parker x
XzindicateVoto Ae oe ReeRecused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
‘SecretarytotheCouncil