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MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
May 8, 2026
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Suite 504
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
Please find attached the Student Health Care Amendment Act of 2026 for enactment by the
Council of the District of Columbia.
If enacted, the proposed legislation would amend the Student Access to Treatment Act, Poison
Control Center Designation Act of 2020, and repeal select provisions within the Community
Health Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018. These amendments will align the statute with
programmatic changes and improve data sharing within the school health program.
The proposed legislation establishes that the Certificate of Health and the Oral Health
Assessment are standardized documents that incorporate lead poisoning testing and are
developed by DC Health and posted on the website. Parents and legal guardians will be required
to submit these standardized forms on an annual basis. The legislation also codifies DC Health’s
responsibility for undesignated epinephrine in schools instead of the Office of the State
Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and defers to DC Health’s undesignated emergency
medications action plan. These changes align the code with programmatic changes that have
already occurred.
It also amends the Poison Control Center Designation Act of 2020 to designate the Maryland
Poison Center of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy as the District’s poison control
center, to reflect DC Health’s new vendor. Additionally, DC Health is reforming its maternal
health advisory committee structure; therefore, the proposed legislation would repeal provisions
within the Community Health Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 that govern the Perinatal and
Infant Health Advisory Committee.
This legislation protects our students, parents, and school personnel by streamlining health
documentation, clarifying the role the Department of Health plays in administering epinephrine
for students experiencing anaphylaxis, and codifying programmatic changes in certain DC
Health program areas.
I urge the Council to take prompt and favorable action on the Student Health Care Amendment
Act of 2026.
Sincerely,
Muriel Bowser
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A BILL
4-~~
~ Phil Mendelson
at the request of the Mayor
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To amend the Student Health Care Act of 1985 to require students attending public, public
charter, private, or independent school to furnish a Certificate of Health form created by
the Mayor; to amend the Student Access to Treatment Act of 2007 to establish
epinephrine as an undesignated emergency medication and to transfer the management of
student access to epinephrine in public schools from the Office of the State
Superintendent of Education to the Department of Health; to amend the National Poison
Control Center Designation Act of 2020 to designate the Maryland Poison Center of the
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy as the District of Columbia 's poison control
center; to amend the Community Health Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 to dissolve
the Perinatal and Infant Health Advisory Committee; and to make conforming
amendments.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
30 act may be cited as the "Student Health Care Amendment Act of 2026".
31 Sec. 2. The Student Health Care Act of 1985, effective December 3, 1985 (D.C. Law 6-
32 66; D .C. Official Code§ 38-601 et seq.), is amended as follows:
33 (a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code§ 38-601) is amended as follows:
34 (1) A new paragraph (lA) is added to read as follows:
35 "(IA) "Certificate of health" means a form prescribed by the Mayor to report
36 infonnation on a student's physical health.".
37 (2) A new paragraph (3A) is added to read as follows:
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“(3A) “Certificate of oral health” means a form prescribed by the Mayor to report 38
on a student’s oral health.”. 39
(b) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 38-602) is amended as follows: 40
(1) The section heading is amended to read as follows: 41
“Sec. 3 . Examination requirements; certificates of health and oral health.”. 42
(2) Subsection (a) is amended to read as follows: 43
“(a)(1) Except as provided in section 4, each student attending prekindergarten through 44
grade 12 in a public, public charter, private, or independent school in the District shall furnish the 45
school annually with: 46
“(A) A certificate of health completed and signed by a physician or 47
advanced practice nurse who has examined the student during the 12-month period immediately 48
preceding the 1st day of the school year or the date of the student’s enrollment in the school, 49
whichever occurs later; and 50
“(B) A certificate of oral health completed and signed by a dentist who has 51
examined the student during the 12-month period immediately preceding the 1st day of the 52
school year or the date of the student’s enrollment in the school, whichever occurs later. 53
“(2) The examinations performed under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall 54
cover all items applicable to the student required by the certificate of health or certificate of oral 55
health.”. 56
(3) Subsection (a-1) is amended by striking the phrase “pre-kindergarten, 57
kindergarten or first grade in a public or private school in the District, the student shall furnish 58
the school with a certificate of testing for lead poisoning” and inserting the phrase 59
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“prekindergarten, kindergarten or first grade in a public or private school in the District, the 60
student shall furnish the school with a certificate of health” in its place. 61
(4) Subsection (b) is repealed. 62
(5) Subsection (c) is amended to read as follows: 63
“(c) The Mayor shall develop standard forms for the certificate of health and the 64
certificate of oral health, which shall require the reporting of such information as the Mayor 65
considers appropriate and may vary by age, grade level, or such other factors as the Mayor 66
considers appropriate; provided, that the certificate of health shall include a section requiring the 67
reporting of information on the student’s blood lead levels at specific ages or grade levels. The 68
Mayor shall post the forms on the website of the Department of Health.”. 69
Sec. 3. The Student Access to Treatment Act of 2007, effective February 2, 2008 (D.C. 70
Law 17-107; D.C. Official Code § 38-651.01 et seq.), is amended as follows: 71
(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 38-651.01) is amended as follows: 72
(1) Paragraph (1) is repealed. 73
(2) Paragraph (5D) is amended as follows: 74
(A) Subparagraph (B) is amended by striking the phrase “ ; and” and 75
inserting a semicolon in its place. 76
(B) A new subparagraph (B-i) is added to read as follows: 77
“(B-i) Epinephrine ; and”. 78
(3) Paragraphs (6) and (7) are repealed. 79
(b) Section 5a (D.C. Official Code § 38-651.04a) is repealed. 80
(c) Section 7(h) (D.C. Official Code § 38-651.06(h)) is repealed. 81
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(d) Section 10(a) (D.C. Official Code § 38-651.09(a)) is amended by striking the phrase 82
“Except as provided in section 5a, a school” and inserting the phrase “A school” in its place. 83
Sec. 4. (a) Title III of the Community Health Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, effective 84
April 11, 2019 (D.C. Law 22-290; D.C. Official Code § 7-858.01 et seq.), is amended as follows: 85
(1) Section 301(1A) (D.C. Official Code § 7-858.01(1A)) is repealed. 86
(2) Sections 305 and 306 (D.C. Official Code §§ 7-858.05; 7-858.06) are 87
repealed. 88
(b) Section 2(f)(69) of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 89
2-142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01(f)(69)), is repealed. 90
Sec. 4. Conforming amendments. 91
(a) Section 2 of the Poison Control Center Designation Act of 2020, effective June 24, 92
2020 (D.C. Law 23-120; D.C. Official Code § 7-731, note), is amended by striking the phrase 93
“The National Capital Poison Center” and inserting the phrase “The Maryland Poison Center of 94
the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy” in its place. 95
(b) Section 4a(a)(5) of the Pesticide Operations Act of 1977, effective June 5, 2008 (D.C. 96
Law 17-168; D.C. Official Code § 8-403.01(a)(5) is amended by striking the phrase “National 97
Capital Poison Control Center” and inserting the phrase “The Maryland Poison Center of the 98
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy” in its place. 99
Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement. 100
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 101
impact a statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 102
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 103
Sec. 6. Effective date. 104
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This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 105
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 106
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 107
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(l)), and publication in the District of 108
Columbia Register. 109
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GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
BRIAN L. SCHWALB PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY GENERAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATION
LEGAL COUNSEL DIVISION
MEMORANDUM
TO: Tomás Talamante
Director
Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs
FROM: Adele El-Khouri
Deputy Attorney General
Legal Counsel Division
DATE: February 4, 2026
SUBJECT: Legal Sufficiency Review of Draft Legislation the “Student Health Care Amendment
Act of 2026” (AE-26-207)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
This is to Certify that the Office of the Attorney General has reviewed the
above-referenced legislation and found it to be legally sufficient. If you have any questions in this
regard, please do not hesitate to call me at (202) 262-6402.
_________________________________
Adele El-Khouri
Government of the District of Columbia
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Glen Lee
Chief Financial Officer
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 203, Washington, DC 20004 (202)727 -2476
www.cfo.dc.gov
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia
FROM: Glen Lee
Chief Financial Officer
DATE: January 15, 2026
SUBJECT: Fiscal Impact Statement – Student Health Care Amendment Act of 2026
REFERENCE: Draft Introduction as provided to the Office of Revenue Analysis on
December 22, 2025
Conclusion
Funds are sufficient in the fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2029 budget and financial plan to
implement the bill.
Background
The Epinephrine in Schools Program was expanded at the start of school year 2025-2026 to become
the Undesignated Emergency Medications (UEM) program. The UEM program provides schools with
albuterol, epinephrine, and glucagon at no cost to schools for use in emergency situations. The bill
updates1 the statutes related to the Epinephrine in Schools Program to transition the Program to the
UEM program . These updates include designating epinephrine as a UEM and specifying that DC
Health manages epinephrine distribution to schools.
The bill also redesignates2 the District’s poison control center as the Maryland Poison Center of the
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. The current poison control center is designated as the
National Capital Poison Center.
1 By amending The Student Access to Treatment Act of 2007, effective February 2, 2008 (D.C. Law 17 -107;
D.C. Official Code § 38-651.01 et seq.).
2 By amending the Poison Control Center Designation Act of 2020, effective June 24, 2020 (D.C. Law 23 -120;
67 DCR 8981).
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
FIS: “Student Health Care Amendment Act of 2026,” Draft Introduction as provided to the Office of Revenue
Analysis on December 22, 2025
Page 2 of 2
Finally, the bill makes3 several technical changes to the laws that relate to the annual submission of
Certificates of Health and Oral Health Assessment to enroll in school in the District.
Financial Plan Impact
Funds are sufficient in the fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2029 budget and financial plan to
implement the bill. DC Health already manages the UEM program , including the purchase and
distribution of undesignated epinephrine. Making technical changes to the law that pertains to the
annual submission of the Certificate of Health and Oral Health Assessment does not have a cost.
Likewise, redesigning the District’s poison control center does not have a cost to DC Health.
3 By amending The Student Health Care Act of 1985, effective December 2, 1985 (D.C. Law 6 -66; D.C. Official
Code § 38-601 et seq.).