On Tuesday, February 21st the DC City Council introduced two new pieces of legislation regarding Universal Paid Leave.

Bill 22-130 "Paid Leave Compensation Act of 2017" was introduced by Council members Evans and Cheh and is a hybrid version of the current bill. The legislation doesn't change the amount of leave available, but allows companies to provide their own leave through various types of programs and without going into the government run program.

Bill 122-133 "Universal Paid Leave Compensation for Workers Amendment Act of 2017" was introduced by Council members Evans and Gray. This version would eliminate the creation of a government run program and require all employers to purchase private insurance. This model is loosely based on a disability insurance model and like the previous version, adds incentives to help small businesses cover the cost.

Both bills would alter the Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015 which passed the council in late 2016 and was not signed by Mayor Bowser. Currently, the legislation is on the desk of Chairman Phil Mendelson and is awaiting transmission to Congress. He has stated however, that he is open to adjusting the funding structure of the legislation prior to full implementation. ABC and the Business Coalition Council are in the process of reviewing both bills and will have communication with the Chairman in the near future.