District of Columbia legislation · 26th Council
District of Columbia B173: Architect and Engineer Good Samaritan Amendment Act of 2025
Status: Signed into law, September 5, 2026
As introduced, Bill 26-173 would provide limited civil liability in certain cases to licensed architects and professional engineers who , in good faith and without compensation render assistance at the scene of or in connection with a life-threatening emergency in the built environment, at the direction or approval of a federal or District official, during a period of a public emergency or within 90 days following the end of a life -threatening emergency in the built environment.
What the bill says
To amend Subchapter I-BofChapter 28of Title47ofthe DistrictofColumbia Official Codeto providelimited civil liability, absent gross negligenceorwillful misconduct, to licensed architects, professional engineers, andprofessional land surveyors who, ingood faith and without compensation, render assistance at the scene of, orin connection with, alifethreatening emergency in thebuiltenvironment, at the direction orrequest of, orwith the approval of, afederal orDistrictofficial, duringa periodof a public emergency declared bythe Mayoror within 90 days followingthe end ofsuch period atthesceneofthe l.
From the enrolled text, April 24, 2026:
To amend Subchapter I-BofChapter 28of Title47ofthe DistrictofColumbia Official Codeto providelimited civil liability, absent gross negligenceorwillful misconduct, to licensed architects, professional engineers, andprofessional land surveyors who, ingood faith and without compensation, render assistance at the scene of, orin connection with, alifethreatening emergency in thebuiltenvironment, at the direction orrequest of, orwith the approval of, afederal orDistrictofficial, duringa periodof a public emergency declared bythe Mayoror within 90 days followingthe end ofsuch period atthesceneofthe lifethreateningemergency in thebuiltenvironment. BE ITENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act maybe cited as the "Architect and Engineer Good Samaritan Amendment Actof2026". Sec. 2. Subchapter I-B of Chapter28 ofTitle 47 oftheDistrict ofColumbiaOfficial Code is amended as follows: (a) Section47-2853.01 is amended byadding anewparagraph (1A)to read as follows: "(1A) "Built environment" meansthehuman-constructed surroundings that supporthuman activities, includingbuildings, transport systems, and landscapes.". (b) Part C is amended as follows: (1)Thetableofcontents is amended by adding anew section designation to read as follows: "47-2853.69. Limited civil liability forvoluntarypracticeofarchitecture at sceneoflifethreatening emergency in thebuilt environment.". (2) A new section 47-2853.69 is addedto read as follows: "§ 47-2853.69. Limitedcivilliability for voluntary practice ofarchitecture at scene of life-threatening emergency in thebuilt environment. "Any personwith a validlicense as an architect shall notbe liable, in theabsenceofgross negligenceorwillfull misconduct, forany civil damages foracts oromissionsresulting from rendering assistancethrough thepracticeofarchitecture atthescene of, orin connection with, a life-threatening …