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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

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 summary does not provide specific details about enforcement mechanisms beyond stating that prohibitions are enforceable under existing laws.

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

This act clarifies that private disability insurance providers 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 and prohibits private disability insurance providers from reducing short-term disability benefits due to estimated or actual paid leave benefits an eligible individual may receive under the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016.
  • Ensures that these prohibitions are enforceable under existing laws, regardless of where the policy was issued.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have short-term disability insurance in the District of Columbia
  • Private disability insurance providers operating in the District of Columbia

Terms To Know

Eligible individual
A person qualified to receive benefits under a disability insurance policy or paid leave program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is temporary and will expire on January 1, 2027.
  • It only applies to short-term disability insurance policies issued or written in the District of Columbia.

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

‘CouncilMember. Aye| Nay |NV_|AB| Rec| CouncilMember | Aye |Nay|NV |AS_|Rec|CouncilMember | Aye |Nay|NV| AB [Reo
wie ‘i Nendesor mime [xBons ‘i taeowe nee
X-IndicateVote AB ~Absent NV- Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
SEER RR Be ehemea Bate
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