Tzedek DC

Big news for DC patients!

The Council of the District of Columbia has passed the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act, a major step toward protecting more than 90,000 residents living with medical debt. This legislation will help prevent medical debt from damaging credit, limit harmful collection practices, and ensure patients are screened for financial assistance before bills are sent to collections.

Medical debt can follow people for years, affecting their ability to secure housing, employment, and even access care. This bill begins to change that and ensure patients have access to care in the District regardless of income.

We are grateful to Councilmember Christina Henderson for her leadership on this issue, and to Staff Attorney Jennifer Holloway for her leadership of Tzedek DC’s Medical Debt Project that helped catalyze this effort.

Huge thanks to Attorney General Brian Schwalb, National Consumer Law Center, Legal Aid DC, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network - ACS CAN, Roosevelt Institute, Legal Counsel for the Elderly, and Blood Cancer United for joining us in testimony supporting the bill. And thanks to all who helped us to reach this milestone!

DC Council Approves Medical Debt Reform Bill Backed by Tzedek DC Report — Tzedek DC The DC Council on Tuesday approved major medical debt reform legislation shaped by recommendations from Tzedek DC , advancing new protections for District residents facing medical debt and collection actions. The Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act , introduced by Councilmember Christina He

We joined a coalition of organizations supporting the Child Support Improvement Amendment Act of 2026 to help make DC’s child support system work better for families. The bill would ensure that all child support payments go directly to families and set a clear limit on how long old debts can be collected, so support reaches children when it matters most. These changes would help reduce financial stress, support stability, and create a fairer system for parents and kids across the District.

D.C. takes a cut of child support payments. A new bill could change that. D.C. limits child support payments for parents receiving government cash assistance and uses the rest of the money to pay for administrative costs.