B26-0414 • 2025

Community Health Amendment Act of 2025

Children Healthcare Labor

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Henderson
Last action: 2026-04-03
Official status: Official Law
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date depends on approval by the Mayor, a potential veto override, and a 30-day congressional review period.

Community Health Amendment Act of 2026

This law changes the rules for vaccines in Washington, D.C., to let health officials approve guidelines from groups other than just the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

What This Bill Does

Amends existing laws about healthcare workers and minor vaccinations.
Allows vaccine schedules recommended by a competent medical or public health organization designated by the Director of Health through public notice, in addition to ACIP guidelines.
Requires that any new recommending organization be named through a public notice.

Who It Names or Affects

Healthcare providers in Washington, D.C. who order and administer immunizations
The Director of the Department of Health
Minors receiving vaccinations under updated consent rules

Terms To Know

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): A federal group within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that creates official schedules for when vaccines should be given.
Director of Health: The leader of the local health agency who can designate other competent medical or public health organizations to set vaccine rules through a public notice.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not list which specific medical or public health organizations will be chosen.
It is unclear how often new guidelines might change based on future designations.
The text does not explain the exact process for issuing a public notice beyond requiring it.

Bill History

2026-04-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Law L26-0105, Effective from Mar 24, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 005739
2026-02-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Congress
2026-02-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Act A26-0251 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 001074
2026-02-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2026-01-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0251
2026-01-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Feb 02, 2026
2026-01-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-12-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-12-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Committee Mark-up of B26-0414 by the Health Committee
2025-10-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Public Hearing on B26-0414
2025-10-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0414 Published in the District of Columbia Register
2025-10-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register
2025-10-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Health
2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Referred to Committee on Health
2025-10-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
B26-0414 Introduced by Councilmember Henderson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Community Health Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT.
D.C. ACT 26-251
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JANUARY 27, 2026
ToamendtheDistrictofColumbiaHealthOccupationsRevisionActof1985andtheConsentforVaccinationofMinorsAmendmentActof2022toauthorizehealthcareprovidersintheDistricttoorderandadministerimmunizationsrecommendedbycompetentmedicalandpublichealthorganizationsdesignatedbytheDirectoroftheDepartmentofHealth.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“Community HealthAmendment Actof 2026”.
See.2.TheDistrictofColumbiaHealthOccupationsRevisionActof1985,effectiveMarch25,1986(D.C.Law6-99;D.C.OfficialCode§3-1201,01etseq.),isamendedasfollows:
(a)Section102(11)(A)(D.C.OfficialCode§3-1201.02(11)(A))isamendedbystrikingthephrase“inaccordancewiththeCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention’spublishedguidelinesandrecommendedimmunizationschedules”andinsertingthephrase“inaccordancewiththepublishedguidelinesandrecommendedimmunizationschedulesoftheAdvisoryCommitteeonImmunizationPracticesoftheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionoracompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirectoroftheDepartmentofHealththroughapublicnotice”initsplace.
(b)Section755(a-1)(D.C.OfficialCode§3-1207.55(a-1))isamendedbystrikingthe
phrase“inaccordancewiththeCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention’spublishedguidelinesandrecommendedimmunizationschedules”andinsertingthephrase“inaccordancewiththepublishedguidelinesandrecommendedimmunizationschedulesoftheAdvisoryCommitteeonImmunizationPracticesoftheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionoracompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirectoroftheDepartmentofHealththroughapublicnotice”initsplace.
Sec.3.Section2of the Consent forVaccinationsof Minors Amendment Act of 2022,
effectiveMarch 10,2023 (D.C. Law 24-312;D.C. OfficialCode § 7-1653.01),isamended as
follows:
(a)Subsection(a)isamended by strikingthephrase“recommended by theUnited States
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices(“ACIP”),and where receiptof thevaccineisin
accordancewithACIP's recommended immunizationschedule.”and insertingthephrase
1

ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
“recommendedbytheAdvisoryCommitteeonImmunizationPracticesoftheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(“ACIP”)oracompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirectoroftheDepartmentofHealth(“Director”)throughapublicnotice,andwherereceiptofthevaccineisinaccordancewiththerecommendedimmunizationscheduleofACIPorthecompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirector.”initsplace.
(b)Subsection(b)(1)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“recommendedbyACIPin
accordancewithACIP’srecommendedimmunizationschedule”andinsertingthephrase“recommendedbyACIPorthecompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirector,inaccordancewiththerecommendedimmunizationscheduleofACIPorthecompetentmedicalorpublichealthorganizationdesignatedbytheDirector”initsplace
Sec.4. Fiscalimpact statement.
TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscal
impact statementrequiredby section4a ofthe GeneralLegislativeProceduresAct of 1975,
approved October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressional
reviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approved
December24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)(1)).
Vp ffi —Chairman
Councilof the Districtof Columbia

Distric\ofColunt
APPROVED
January27,2026

COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA.
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.B26.0414
[JITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
DACTION FirstReading
[UX]VOTEDATE December18,2025
[DxavoicevoTe ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST T.White
ABSENT

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DocketNo.826.0414
[ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[LX]ACTION FinalReading
[X]VOTE DATE January6,2026
[LX]VOICE VOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
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ChairmanMendelsor|X Henderson R.White x
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