HIV In-home Test Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2025

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSLYVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004

January 30, 2025

Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004

Dear Secretary Smith,

Today, I, along with Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Brianne K. Nadeau, Christina Henderson, Janeese
Lewis George, Robert White, Zachary Parker, Matthew Frumin, and Wendell Felder, am introducing the
“HIV In-home Test Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2025.” Please find enclosed a signed copy of the
legislation.

This legislation would exempt sales of HIV in-home tests from taxation.

More than a decade ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new HIV in-home test that
for the first time made it possible for Americans to learn in the privacy of their homes whether
they carried the HIV virus. The availability of an HIV test as easy to use as a home-pregnancy kit
was yet another step in the normalization of a disease that was once seen as a mark of shame and
a death sentence. However, with the availability of antiretroviral drugs for many years, knowledge
of one’s HIV status and the beginning of an antiretroviral regime has dramatically lowered the
chance that an individual will transmit the virus to someone else or become ill with AIDS. HIV
testing and treatment have become crucial to HIV prevention and public health.

HIV in-home tests cost between $40 and $70, a significant amount of money for many District
residents. By exempting HIV in-home test from taxes, this bill will help make HIV in -home tests
more accessible to District residents. By doing so, we will help prevent the spread of HIV.

I introduced an identical version of this legislation in Council Period 25, B25-30.

Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative and Committee
Director, Linn Groft, at lgroft@dccouncil.gov.

Thank you,

Brooke Pinto
Ward 2 Councilmember

_______________________________ _______________________________
Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Brooke Pinto

_______________________________ _______________________________
Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Christina Henderson

_______________________________ _______________________________
Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Matthew Frumin

___________________________ ______________________________
Councilmember Robert White Councilmember Zachary Parker

________________________________
Councilmember Wendell Felder
A BILL 1
2
_____ 3
4
5
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 6
7
______________________ 8
9
To amend section 47-2005 of the District of Columbia Official Code to exempt sales of HIV 10
in-home tests from taxation. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 12
act may be cited as the “HIV In-home Test Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2025”. 13
Sec. 2. Section 47-2005 of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended by adding 14
a new paragraph (41) to read as follows: 15
“(41) Sales of human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) in-home tests.”. 16
Sec. 3. Applicability. 17
(a) Section 3 of this act shall take effect subject to the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an 18
approved budget and financial plan. 19

2
(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in 20
an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council 21
of the certification. 22
(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in 23
the District of Columbia Register. 24
(2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the 25
applicability of this act. 26
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 27
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 28
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 29
approved October 16, 2006 (12 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 30
Sec. 5. Effective date. 31
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto 32
by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional 33
review as provided in section 602(c)(l) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 34
December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code§ l-206.02(c)(l)), and publication in the 35
District of Columbia Register. 36