Legislation

To amend the Special Education Procedural Protections Expansion Act of 2014 to give a child with a disability with an individualized education program the right to remain in their initial placement feeder pattern unless there is no program available in their feeder pattern, to require that an LEA consult with the IEP team of a child with a disability prior to any change in the child’s service location, to require that an LEA provide a written explanation to the parent of a child with a disability before any change in service location for the child is made and explain why the special education services in the current feeder pattern cannot meet the child’s needs if the action removes the child from their current placement’s feeder pattern, and to require that an LEA provide a written explanation to the special education teacher in an affected self-contained special education program classroom, the parents of students in an affected self-contained special education classroom, and school administrators, describing the additional resources and personnel that will be allocated to a classroom when the student-to-staff ratio exceeds those ratios set by regulation.

This legislation would symbolically designate 15th St. NW between Church St. NW and Q St. NW in Ward 2 as Alma Thomas Way, in honor of the trailblazing artist, dedicated educator, and Logan Circle resident of more than 70 years

The bill would require private health insurance plans, Medicaid, and the DC Healthcare Alliance to cover vasectomy services with no copayments, deductibles, or other cost sharing requirements.

As introduced Bill 25-692 would broaden the pool of qualified healthcare professionals authorized to initiate involuntary commitment processes, incorporating Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners with expertise in mental health assessments. It extends the detention time for emergency observation. It extends time frames for initiation of probable cause hearings and prioritizes virtual hearings. It clarifies the right to voluntarily agree to remain in inpatient status until an appropriate discharge plan is implemented. It would allow doctors to make involuntary admissions, provided their financial arrangements comply with federal law. It allows the court, when appropriate to order for treatment for up to 30 days but not less than 15 days. It would also require the Department of Behavioral Health to develop online training modules for both healthcare professionals and laypersons.

To amend, on an emergency basis, the Retired Police Officer Redeployment Amendment Act of 1992 to allow retired Metropolitan Police Department officers and retired firefighters from the Fire and Emergency Services Department to be eligible for rehire at the discretion of the Director of the Office of Unified Communication as temporary full-time or temporary part-time 911 call takers or 911 dispatchers without jeopardy to the retirement benefits of the employee.

As introduced Bill 25-610 would grant to firefighters retired from the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS) and police officers retired from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) eligibility for rehire at the discretion of the Director of the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) as temporary full-time or temporary part-time 911 call takers or 911 dispatchers without decreasing their retirement benefits.

As introduced Bill 25-565 would eliminate barriers to licensure and certification for direct care workers and will establish a new minimum wage for individuals providing direct support services at 120% of the District’s living wage. Specifically, it would replace the fragmented credential system for certified nurse assistants (CNAs) and home health aides with a unified credential for Direct Care Workers (DCWs). The legislation also encourages on-the-job training and registered apprenticeship programs for DCWs, and expands provider availability by allowing certified practitioners from Maryland and Virginia to practice as DCWs in the District. Additionally, the legislation lowers the age for DCWs to 16 years old, provided they are pursuing a high school diploma and practice in a facility setting with appropriate oversight.

As introduced Bill 25-566 establishes the profession of Behavior Analyst (BAs) as a licensed healthcare profession. BAs specialize in assessing and addressing complex behavior issues, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder. BAs create and implement intervention plans for behavioral-related issues, and may provide therapy services in health care clinics, schools, homes, and businesses. Some BAs also specialize in trauma-based behavioral analysis, such as with clients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

This legislation would accelerate much-needed development of mixed-use residential projects at District Metro stations. This is land that currently does not generate any tax revenues where building new mixed-use housing is currently financially impractical due to the existing infrastructure at these stations such as traction power sub-stations, roadway improvements, and other capital reconfigurations.

As introduced, Leveraging Engagement in Transit Services for Greater Outcomes (LETS GO) Amendment Act of 2023 would require the Department of For-Hire Vehicles to prepare and publish an annual ridership report for its microtransit and paratransit programs. These programs include the DC SchoolConnect program, the DC Neighborhood Connect program, the Transport DC program, the VetsRide program, and the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation program. These alternative transit programs connect residents with housing, healthcare, and education services, and primarily serve seniors, low-income veterans, and residents with disabilities who prefer to use on-demand, door-to-door transportation services. which would require the Department of For-Hire Vehicles to prepare and publish an annual ridership report for its microtransit and paratransit programs. These programs include the DC SchoolConnect program, the DC Neighborhood Connect program, the Transport DC program, the VetsRide program, and the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation program. These alternative transit programs connect residents with housing, healthcare, and education services, and primarily serve seniors, low-income veterans, and residents with disabilities who prefer to use on-demand, door-to-door transportation services.

This legislation would require the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to conduct a study on public transportation access to supermarkets in low food access areas. DDOT would be required to administer the study to 500 District residents living in low food access areas to assess current transportation modes and routes used to travel to and from supermarkets.

This legislation would create a loan repayment program for educators who earn $75,000 or less, have their loans enrolled in a federal income-driven repayment plan, and live in the District. To address the unique financial stress of educators, this bill would establish a loan repayment assistance program for educators. The program would be administered by OSSE, in consultation with the Student Loan Ombudsman. The District currently has locally administered student loan repayment programs for other high-need professions like healthcare workers