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COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, nw
Washington, D.C. 20004
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Statement of Introduction
Behavioral Health Voucher Transparency Amendment Act of 2025
January 29, 2025
Today, along with Councilmember Charles Allen, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George,
Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr., Councilmember Brooke Pinto, Councilmember Matthew
Frumin, and Councilmember Zachary Parker, I am introducing the Behavioral Health Voucher
Transparency Amendment Act of 2025. This bill seeks to streamline and improve the processing
of housing vouchers by creating a secure online portal and providing a standardized checklist for
applicants. By addressing delays, enhancing transparency, and offering user training, this bill
aims to improve housing stability and mental health outcomes for District residents in need.
These improvements build on successful strategies from other states like North Carolina,
ensuring that every step in the process is clear and accessible.
The bill responds to critical gaps in the voucher process at DBH. Clients and caseworkers
currently experience challenges navigating the necessary steps for processing vouchers and
accessing real-time status updates on document submissions. This lack of visibility often leads to
misunderstandings, document loss, and delays in securing stable housing. This bill will ensure
that each step in the process is clearly tracked, contributing to more efficient service delivery and
more housing stability for behavioral health clients. Specifically, this bill would:
• Create a portal that allows clients, caseworkers, and property managers to access real-
time data on document submissions, which directly mirrors the real-time data tracking in
North Carolina.1
• Mandate automated reminders for upcoming deadlines and pending tasks, ensuring
timely action from all parties involved.2
• Create a standardized checklist outlining required documents, submission deadlines, and
responsibilities to simplify the application process.
The Behavioral Health Voucher Transparency Amendment Act of 2025 builds on proven
strategies to improve efficiency, reduce delays, and prevent document loss. By standardizing
requirements and providing real-time tracking, this bill aims to create a more transparent and
1 NCDHHS, Child Behavioral Health Dashboard, https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/child-and-
family-well-being/whole-child-health-section/child-behavioral-health/child-behavioral-health-
dashboard
2 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Behavioral Health Dashboard,
https://www.chiamass.gov/behavioral-health-in-massachusetts/
Christina Henderson Committee Member
Councilmember, At-Large Human Services
Chairperson, Committee on Health Facilities
Transportation and the Environment
COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, nw
Washington, D.C. 20004
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user-friendly process, ultimately promoting housing stability and better outcomes for District
residents.
I look forward to working with my colleagues and DBH to bring these essential improvements to
the district’s behavioral health services.
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Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Christina Henderson 2
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Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Brooke Pinto 7
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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Matthew Frumin 12
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______________________________ 16
Councilmember Zachary Parker 17
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A BILL 21
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 26
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To amend the Department of Behavioral Health Establishment Act of 2013 to require the 30
Department of Behavioral Health to develop and publish a standardized checklist and 31
develop a secure online portal for tracking behavioral health housing voucher 32
applications, and to conduct training. 33
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 35
act may be cited as the “Behavioral Health Housing Voucher Transparency Amendment Act of 36
2025”. 37
Sec. 2. The Department of Behavioral Health Establishment Act of 2013, effective 38
December 24, 2013 (D.C. Law 20-61; D.C. Official Code § 7-1141.01 et seq.), is amended by 39
adding a new Part C to read as follows: 40
“PART C. 41
“Sec. 5120d. Housing voucher standardized checklist requirement. 42
“(a) The Department shall develop and publish a standardized checklist for the 43
application process for housing vouchers administered by the Department. 44
“(b) The checklist shall include: 45
“(1) A list of all required documents, such as identification and consent forms, 46
that an applicant must submit to the Department; 47
“(2) Submission deadlines for each document; 48
“(3) Identification of responsible parties for each step or document submission, 49
including caseworkers, applicants, or property managers; and 50
(4) Where signatures are required to verify the submission of required documents.51
“(c) The Department shall publish the checklist on its website and send it via email to all 52
caseworkers, property managers, and housing voucher recipients currently in its system. The 53
Department shall also provide the checklist to all individuals who start the housing voucher 54
application process. 55
“Sec. 5120e. Secure online portal. 56
“(a) The Department shall establish and maintain a secure online portal for applicants, 57
caseworkers, and property managers to track in real time the status of a housing voucher 58
application; provided, that property managers’ access to the online portal shall be limited to 59
viewing the applicant’s name, caseworker’s name, and any documentation required to be 60
completed by the property manager. 61
“(b) The portal shall include: 62
“(1) Secure login access for applicants via unique passcodes that they can share 63
with their caseworker; 64
“(2) The status of the applicant’s voucher application, including a list of 65
completed and pending tasks; 66
“(3) Automated reminders for impending deadlines or pending actions that are 67
sent to the applicant via email or text message; and 68
“(4) A feedback section to allow users to report issues or provide suggestions for 69
improvement. 70
“(c) The online portal shall comply with all relevant legal and privacy laws and 71
regulations to protect client information. 72
“Sec. 5120f. Implementation and training. 73
“The Department shall conduct or create a training video for all users to support the 74
adoption of the portal and ensure the checklist and portal are fully integrated into existing case 75
management systems used by the Department within 180 days of the portal’s launch, such that: 76
“(1) Caseworkers can access and update the checklist and portal directly through 77
the case management system; and 78
“(2) Updates made in the portal are synchronized in real-time with the case 79
management system to ensure data consistency and accuracy. 80
“Sec. 5120g. Monitoring and evaluation. 81
“(a) The Department shall establish a monitoring system to assess the checklist and portal 82
in managing voucher-related documentation, including tracking: 83
“(1) The average processing time for voucher applications; 84
“(2) The approval rate of voucher applications; and 85
“(3) Any identified barriers to completing applications or securing 86
approvals. 87
“(b) The Department shall gather feedback from users to evaluate and improve the 88
checklist and portal processes. 89
“(c) The Department shall publish, on a quarterly basis, a report on its website that 90
includes: 91
“(1) The average processing time for voucher applications; 92
“(2) The approval rate of voucher applications; and 93
“(3) A summary of user feedback and steps taken to address identified 94
challenges.". 95
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 96
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report statement 97
required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 1 December 98
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(3)). 99
Sec. 4. Effective date. 100
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 101
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review 102
as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 103
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1). 104