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Sponsored byZachary Parker+8 co-sponsors
Last updated Oct 26, 2026 · DC · Source: LegiScan ↗
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COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 March 2, 2026 Nyasha Smith, Secretary Council of the District of Columbia 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Dear Secretary Smith, We are jointly introducing “Eric’s ID Amendment Act of 2026.” Please see enclosed a signed copy of the legislation. As we recognize the beginning of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, this legislation is especially important as it serves to create more equity for our disabled neighbors. This legislation will provide protections to our residents who have hidden disabilities, and ensure that our police department engages in interactions appropriate for these residents. This bill is the result of meaningful collaboration and support from the family behind Eric’s ID Law1 in Maryland – Eric and Linda Carpenter-Grantham – and the District Department of Motor Vehicles. We are proud to introduce this legislation with our colleagues Councilmember Charles Allen, Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau, Councilmember Doni Crawford, Councilmember Christina Henderson, Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr., and Councilmember Anita Bonds. This legislation serves to protect individuals with nonapparent disabilities by: • Allowing individuals to choose to indicate that they have a nonapparent disability on their license, permit, or identification card. • Defining a nonapparent disability as a disability or health condition that is not immediately obvious or visible, including developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and immunodeficiency conditions. • Requiring the District Department of Transportation to coordinate with the Office of Disability Rights to conduct public outreach efforts. • Prohibiting the District Department of Transportation from disclosure of information related to an individual’s nonapparent disability except in certain circumstances. 1 MVA Introduces New Symbol on Driver’s Licenses and ID Cards to Support Marylanders with Hidden Disabilities, Maryland Department of Transportation, accessed March 1, 2026 at https://www.mdot.maryland.gov/tso/pages/newsroomdetails.aspx?newsId=988&PageId=38. • Prohibiting the District Department of Transportation from charging fees to add or remove a nonapparent disability notation on an initial or renewal application. • Requiring the Metropolitan Police Department to implement training concerning interactions with individuals with nonapparent disabilities. The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities estimates that, as of 2023, the total estimated disability population in the District was 11.5 %, or approximately 77,200 residents.2 Of those residents, about 4.5% had developmental disabilities.3 Interactions with disabled people can take place anywhere, and these interactions are not unique to any particular city, state, or country. This legislation will expand the reach of Eric’s ID law, which was enacted in Maryland in September 2025. Similar versions of this bill have since been introduced in Delaware and Georgia. We must continue to champion the rights of all of our residents to dignity and respect, and this legislation continues that journey. Please feel free to reach out to Legislative Director Neferteria Brown (nbrown@dccouncil.gov) or Committee Director Sebastian Weinmann (sweinmann@dccouncil.gov), with any questions or for additional information. Sincerely, Zachary Parker Janeese Lewis George Ward 5 Councilmember Ward 4 Councilmember Chair, Committee on Youth Affairs Chair, Committee on Facilities 2 National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Washington, DC, By The Numbers. Accessed March 1, 2026, at https://nacdd.org/state-profiles/washington_dc/ (citing the percentage of non- institutionalized males or females with any disability (all ages; 65+), cognitive disability (all ages; 65+), all races, regardless of ethnicity, across all levels of education in the United States. American Community Survey, 2023 - https://www.disabilitystatistics.org/acs-custom). 3 National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Washington, DC, By The Numbers. Accessed March 1, 2026, at https://nacdd.org/state-profiles/washington_dc/ (citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Developmental Disability, Estimated Prevalence of Developmental Delay, All States, 2021-22. National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network - https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/DataExplorer/?c=16) 1 2 ________________________________ ______________________________ 3 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Zachary Parker 4 5 6 7 ________________________________ ______________________________ 8 Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Brooke Pinto 9 10 11 12 ________________________________ ______________________________ 13 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau. Councilmember Doni Crawford 14 15 16 17 ________________________________ ______________________________ 18 Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 19 20 21 22 ________________________________ 23 Councilmember Anita Bonds 24 25 26 27 A BILL 28 29 _________________________ 30 31 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 32 33 _________________________ 34 35 36 To amend section 7 of the District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925, to allow applicants for a 37 license, permit, or identification card to choose to indicate on the document the 38 applicant’s nonapparent disability, to designate a butterfly as the nonapparent disability 39 notation, to establish public outreach efforts, to authorize an applicant to delete their 40 nonapparent disability notation, to prohibit requiring proof of a nonapparent disability, 41 to prohibit denial of an application due to certain circumstances related to information 42 about a nonapparent disability, to prohibit charging additional fees for applicants who 43 choose to include or remove their nonapparent disability on an initial or renewal 44 application, to prohibit disclosure of certain information, and to require the 45 Metropolitan Police Department to implement training concerning interactions with 46 individuals with nonapparent disabilities. 47 48 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may 49 be cited as the “Eric’s ID Amendment Act of 2026”. 50 Sec. 2. Section 7 of the District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925, approved March 3, 51 1925 (43 Stat. 1121; D.C. Official Code § 50-1401.01), is amended by adding a new 52 subsection (i-1) to read as follows: 53 “(i-1)(1) On any initial or renewal application for a license, permit, or identification card 54 issued pursuant to this section, section 8a, or section 8c, an applicant may choose to indicate that 55 the applicant has a nonapparent disability. 56 “(A) For any applicant that indicates that the applicant has a nonapparent 57 disability, a nonapparent disability notation shall be placed on the front of the license, permit, or 58 identification card. 59 “(B) Corresponding text indicating a nonapparent disability shall be 60 placed on the back of the license, permit, or identification card. 61 “(C) The Department shall not require an applicant to identify the 62 applicant’s nonapparent disability. 63 “(2) This indication shall not affect an applicant’s ability to add a special 64 indicator, as authorized by the Department, to the back of a license, permit, or identification card. 65 “(3) The Department shall consult with the Office of Disability Rights to establish 66 public outreach efforts on the availability of a nonapparent disability notation. 67 “(4) The Department shall designate a butterfly symbol as the nonapparent 68 disability notation. 69 “(5) The Department shall delete records of an individual’s nonapparent disability 70 and the notation from the individual’s license, permit, or identification card upon request from 71 the individual. 72 “(6) The Department shall not: 73 “(A) Require proof of the nonapparent disability before approving the 74 nonapparent disability notation; 75 “(B) Deny an application for a license, permit, or identification card 76 because the nonapparent disability selected by the applicant does not match the nonapparent 77 disability indicated on another document associated with the applicant; 78 “(C) During the processing of an initial or renewal application, collect an 79 additional fee to include or remove a notation of a nonapparent disability on a license, permit, or 80 identification or to delete records of an individual’s nonapparent disability notation; 81 “(D) Use information disclosed by an individual under this section as a 82 basis to require the individual to undergo a driver license medical review process; or 83 “(E) Disclose records pertaining to an individual’s election of having a 84 nonapparent disability, except to: 85 “(i) A court; 86 “(ii) A criminal justice agency upon a court order; 87 “(iii) A driver licensing authority; 88 “(iv) The applicant; 89 “(v) The applicant’s attorney; 90 “(vi) Any third party designated by the applicant; or 91 “(vii) The Child and Family Servies Agency. 92 “(7) Within the fiscal year following the effective date of this act, the 93 Metropolitan Police Department shall implement training concerning interactions with 94 individuals who have a nonapparent disability notation on their license, permit, or identification 95 card. 96 “(8) For the purposes of this subsection, the term “nonapparent disability” means 97 a disability or health condition that is not immediately obvious or visible, including 98 developmental disabilities and intellectual disabilities.”. 99 Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 100 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 101 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 102 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 103 Sec. 4. Effective date. 104 This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 105 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 106 provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 107 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 108 Columbia Register.
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