B 26-0173 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Architect and Engineer Good Samaritan Amendment Act of 2025

This bill, the "Architect and Engineer Good Samaritan Amendment Act of 2025" (B 26-0173), would protect licensed architects and engineers in the District of Columbia from civil liability when volunteering during emergencies. It limits liability (except for gross negligence or willful misconduct) for professionals providing free, voluntary assistance at life-threatening emergencies in the built environment - like building safety assessments after disasters - when acting at an official's direction during a declared emergency or within 90 days after. To qualify, volunteers must complete a specific training program (referencing California's Safety Assessment Program) and work without compensation in good faith. The law aligns DC with 41 states that offer similar protections to these professionals.

Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Council Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Jul 2026

Introduced Mar 10, 2025 Signed Jul 27, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossment → Enrollment · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was expanded to include professional land surveyors alongside architects and engineers, broadening the group of professionals eligible for legal protection. The text was also cleaned up to remove redundant phrasing and ensure consistent formatting throughout the document.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded to include professional land surveyors, whereas the original version only covered architects and engineers.

SCOPE

Added professional land surveyors to the list of licensed professionals eligible for limited civil liability protection.

DEFINITION

Updated the bill title and summary to reflect the inclusion of land surveyors.

TECHNICAL

Removed redundant words like 'is added' and 'the' to improve grammatical flow and consistency.

Floor votes · Council Mar 31, 2026

How they voted

13–0

Passed

Total votes 13

Mar 31, 2026

D Democratic11

11 Yea

100% Yea

I Independent2

2 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 31, 2026

Council · Passed

Council Vote: pass (13-0)

council

Mar 31, 2026

Introduced

AMENDMENT ( Mendelson)

legislature

Mar 3, 2026

Legislature · Passed

Committee Mark-up of B26-0173 by the Committee of the Whole

legislature

Jan 9, 2026

Committee

Re-Referral published.

legislature

Jan 6, 2026

Committee

Re-Referred to Committee of the Whole

legislature

Mar 18, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Business and Economic Development

legislature

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

B26-0173 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

legislature

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors