KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to District of Columbia

PR26-0297 • 2025

Community Health Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Community Health Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Healthcare
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Henderson
Last action
2025-10-03
Official status
Approved
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about which vaccines are covered or how long the emergency declaration will last.

Community Health Emergency Declaration Resolution

This resolution declares an emergency situation to allow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the District of Columbia to administer certain immunizations without a prescription, ensuring residents have access to necessary vaccines during the respiratory disease season.

What This Bill Does

  • Declares that there is an emergency related to health care needs in the District of Columbia.
  • Allows healthcare providers like pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to order and give vaccinations recommended by medical experts without needing a prescription from another doctor or nurse.
  • Ensures young people under 18 can get these vaccines if it's appropriate for their health.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Healthcare providers in the District of Columbia, such as pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
  • Residents and visitors of the District of Columbia who need vaccinations.
  • People under 18 years old who can get vaccines without a prescription from another doctor or nurse.

Terms To Know

Emergency circumstances
A situation that requires immediate action to protect public health and safety.
Immunizations
Vaccines given to prevent diseases like COVID-19, influenza, or RSV.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The resolution does not specify which exact vaccines can be administered without a prescription.
  • It is unclear how long the emergency declaration will last and when it might end.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Resolution R26-0191, Effective from Sep 17, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 010630

  2. 2025-09-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  3. 2025-09-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  4. 2025-09-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Approved with Resolution Number R26-0191

  5. 2025-09-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    PR26-0297 Introduced by Councilmember Henderson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Community Health Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
1
_____________________________ 1 Councilmember Christina Henderson 2 3 4 5 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 6 7 8 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 9 ________________ 10 11 To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the District of 12 Columbia Health Occupations Revision Act of 1985 and the Consent for Vaccinations of 13 Minors Amendment Act of 2022 to authorize healthcare providers in the District to order 14 and administer immunizations recommended by competent medical and public health 15 organizations designated by the Director of the Department of Health. 16 17 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 18 resolution may be cited as the “Community Health Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025”. 19 Sec. 2. (a) The 2025-2026 respiratory disease season begins in the fall and will likely 20 cause an increase in COVID-19, influenza, and RSV cases in the District of Columbia. These 21 respiratory diseases can each be mitigated through safe and effective immunizations. 22 (b) The Department of Health ensures that District of Columbia residents and visitors 23 have comprehensive access to immunizations. A critical access point for immunizations are local 24 pharmacies, which operate without prescribers such as physicians or nurse practitioners on site. 25 (c) In recent months, federal actions have created uncertainty about whether pharmacists 26 may continue to administer certain immunizations without a prescription from an authorized 27 prescriber. Following these changes, several local pharmacies have announced they will not be 28 able to administer certain immunizations this fall without such a prescription. This is due to 29 current District law and regulations that tie a pharmacists’ ability to independently administer a 30 vaccine to federal immunization recommendations. 31

2
(d) Enactment of emergency legislation is necessary to ensure that pharmacists can order 32 and administer, and pharmacy technicians can administer, without a prescription, the 33 immunizations needed to protect the public health of District of Columbia residents, visitors, and 34 workers. Additionally, emergency legislation will allow people under the age of 18 to access 35 these critical immunizations as appropriate. Emergency legislation aligns District practice and 36 policy with previous respiratory illness seasons when pharmacists and pharmacy technicians 37 could administer key immunizations without a prescription. 38 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances 39 enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the 40 Immunizations Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be adopted after a single reading. 41 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 42