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B26-0350 • 2025

Community Health Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Community Health Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Children Healthcare
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Henderson
Last action
2025-09-26
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text confirms the law expires after 90 days but does not specify if an extension requires a new vote or automatic renewal.

Community Health Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This emergency law allows healthcare providers in Washington, D.C., to follow vaccine schedules from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or other health organizations chosen by the Director of Health.

What This Bill Does

  • Updates laws so doctors can use immunization guidelines from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) or another organization designated by the Director of Health.
  • Requires that any new health organization be named through an official public notice before its rules can be used.
  • Applies these changes as an emergency act, meaning the law expires after 90 days unless extended.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Healthcare providers in Washington, D.C., who order or give vaccines.
  • The Director of Health, who chooses which organizations set vaccine rules through public notice.
  • Patients and minors receiving immunizations under these guidelines.

Terms To Know

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
A group within the CDC that creates official schedules for when people should get vaccines.
Emergency Act
A law passed to handle urgent situations that stops working after 90 days unless renewed by the Council.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only stays in effect for a maximum of 90 days from approval.
  • It does not list specific vaccines or diseases covered under these new rules.
  • The text does not say which organizations might be chosen by the Director of Health.

Bill History

  1. 2025-09-26 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0149 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 010314, Expires on Dec 21, 2025

  2. 2025-09-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0149, Expires on Dec 21, 2025

  3. 2025-09-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2025-09-19 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Sep 22, 2025

  5. 2025-09-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-09-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-09-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0350 Introduced by Councilmember Henderson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Community Health Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-149
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2025
Toamend,onanemergencybasis,theDistrictofColumbiaHealthOccupationsRevisionActof1985andtheConsentforVaccinationofMinorsAmendmentActof2022toauthorizehealthcareprovidersintheDistricttoorderandadministerimmunizationsrecommendedbycompetentmedicalandpublichealthorganizationsdesignatedbytheDirectorofthe
DepartmentofHealth.
BEITENACTEDBY THE COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthis
actmaybecitedasthe“CommunityHealthEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.The Districtof Columbia HealthOccupationsRevisionAct of 1985,effective
March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-99;D.C. OfficialCode § 3-1201.01etseq.),isamended as follows:
(a)Section102(11)(A)(D.C.OfficialCode§3-1201.02(11)(A))isamendedbystriking
thephrase“inaccordancewith theCentersforDiseaseControland Prevention’spublished
guidelinesandrecommendedimmunizationschedules”andinsertingthephrase“inaccordance
withthepublishedguidelinesand recommended immunizationschedulesof theAdvisory
Committee on ImmunizationPracticesof theCentersforDiseaseControland Preventionora
competentmedicalor publichealthorganizationdesignatedby theDirectorof theDepartment of
Healththroughapublicnotice”initsplace.
(b)Section755(a-1)(D.C.OfficialCode§3-1207.55(a-1))isamendedbystrikingthe
phrase“inaccordancewith theCentersforDiseaseControland Prevention’spublished
guidelinesand recommended immunizationschedules”and insertingthephrase“inaccordance
withthepublishedguidelinesand recommended immunizationschedulesof theAdvisory
Committee on ImmunizationPracticesof theCentersforDiseaseControland Preventionor a
competentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirectoroftheDepartmentof
Healththroughapublicnotice”initsplace.
Sec.3.Section2of theConsent forVaccinationsof Minors Amendment Actof 2022,
effectiveMarch 10,2023 (D.C. Law 24-312;D.C. OfficialCode § 7-1653.01)isamended as
follows:

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(a)Subsection(a)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“recommendedbytheUnitedStates,AdvisoryCommitteeonImmunizationPractices(“ACIP”),andwherereceiptofthevaccineisin
accordancewithACIP'srecommendedimmunizationschedule.”andinsertingthephrase“recommendedbytheAdvisoryCommitteeonImmunizationPracticesoftheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(“ACIP”)oracompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirectoroftheDepartmentofHealth(“Director”)throughapublicnotice,andwherereceiptofthevaccineisinaccordancewiththerecommendedimmunizationscheduleofACIPorthecompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirector.”inits
place.
(b)Subsection(b)(1)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“recommendedbyACIPinaccordancewithACIP’srecommendedimmunizationschedule”andinsertingthephrase“recommendedbyACIPorthecompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedby
theDirector,inaccordancewiththerecommendedimmunizationscheduleofACIPorthecompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirector”initsplace.
See.4,Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
412(a)ofthe DistrictofColumbiaHome RuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;
D.C. OfficialCode § 1-204.12(a)).
airman
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia
APPROVED
SEPTEMBER 22, 2025

[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XTACTION
[<1VOTEDATE
[VOICEvoTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE-Result
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FinalReading
‘September17,2025
‘Approved

‘SecretarytotheCouncil
[CouncilMember__|Aye|Nay|NV_|AB_|Rec|CounciiMember_|Aye[Nay|NV[AB|Rec|CounciiMember[Aye|Nay|NV[AB[Rec
ChairmanMendelson)X Henderson x Pinto
Allen x LewisGeorge_| X White
Bonds % McDuffie x T.White x
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X- IndicateVote ‘AB-Absent NV-Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
F-722-3T