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Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 2
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A BILL 5
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To amend, on an emergency basis, the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 to 15
prohibit private disability insurance providers from reducing short-term disability 16
benefits based on actual or estimated paid leave benefits to which an eligible 17
individual may be entitled to from the District, regardless of the jurisdiction in 18
which the insurance policy was issued or written; and to amend Title I of the 19
Insurance Trade and Economic Development Amendment Act of 2000 to make the 20
prohibition on offsetting or reducing benefits under a private market short-term 21
disability insurance policy based on estimated or actual benefits received under the 22
Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 enforceable under that law, 23
regardless of the jurisdiction in which the insurance policy was issued or written. 24
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 26
act may be cited as the “Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification 27
Emergency Amendment Act of 2025”. 28
Sec. 2. Section 107(j)(1) of the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016, effective 29
April 7, 2017 (D.C. Law 21-264; D.C. Official Code § 32-541.07(j)(1)), is amended to read as 30
follows: 31
“(1) No insurer may offset or reduce benefits or income available to an eligible 32
individual under an individual or group policy for temporary or short-term disability insurance 33
based on estimated or actual benefits the eligible individual may or does receive under this act, 34
regardless of the jurisdiction in which such policy was issued, executed, written, or delivered.”. 35
Sec. 3. Section 120a the Insurance Trade and Economic Development Amendment Act of 36 2
2000, effective April 2, 2001 (D.C. Law 13-265; D.C. Official Code § 31-2231.20a), is amended 37
as follows: 38
(a) Subsection (a) is amended to read as follows: 39
“(a) No insurer may offset or reduce benefits or income available to an eligible individual 40
under a temporary or short-term disability insurance policy, based on estimated or actual benefits 41
the eligible individual may or does receive under the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 42
2016, effective April 7, 2017 (D.C. Law 21-264; D.C. Official Code § 32-541.01 et seq.), 43
regardless of in which jurisdiction such policy was executed, written, or delivered.”. 44
(b) Subsection (c) is amended to read as follows: 45
“(c) For the purposes of this section, the term: 46
“(1) “Eligible individual” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 47
101(6) of the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016, effective April 7, 2017 (D.C. Law 48
21-264; D.C. Official Code § 32-541.01(6)). 49
“(2) “Self-insured employer” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 50
101(19A) of the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016, effective April 7, 2017 (D.C. 51
Law 21-264; D.C. Official Code § 32-541.01(19A)).”. 52
Sec. 4. Applicability. 53
This act shall apply as of May 1, 2025. 54
Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement. 55
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 56
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 57
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 58
Sec. 6. Effective date. 59 3
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 60
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 61
90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 62
412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 63
D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)). 64