Can you believe we’ve almost made it to the new year?
In twelve days we’ll officially be in 2025, the beginning of which also ushers in my second term as one of your At-Large Councilmembers. I am both humbled and invigorated by the opportunity to continue serving the residents of the District, and I am proud of the work that my team and I have accomplished this year. Looking ahead, I am eager to start the new year questioning policy, creating commonsense legislation, and operating in the best interest of the residents I serve.
This newsletter is brimming with my legislative endeavors over the past 12 months (both hard numbers and a more in depth look) and if you want a refresher you can find my 2023 accomplishments here.
Number of hearings and roundtables held by the Committee on Health: 27
Number of bills marked up by the Committee on Health: 12
Number of nominees approved by the Committee on Health: 54
Amount of money approved in Health cluster in FY25 budget: $5.8 billion
Number of bills introduced by Team Henderson overall (where we were chief introducer): 10 permanent, 2 emergency, 0 ceremonial, 0 Congressional Review Emergency, 1 Sense of the Council
Number of Team Henderson bills with a hearing: 11
Number of Team Henderson bills marked up: 13
Number of Team Henderson bills passed by the Council: 16
Number of Team Henderson bills folded into omnibus bills: 9
Number of bills co-introduced: 53
Number of community meetings attended: 75
Number of constituent service cases completed: 145
Councilmember Henderson's 2024 End of Year Review
Supporting our Economy
To give relief to small businesses that may feel administrative pressures due to personal property tax that they most likely will not owe the District, I introduced the Personal Property Tax Simplification Amendment Act of 2024. The bill would raise the current personal property tax exemption for businesses in the District from $225,000 to $325,000, tie prospective annual increases to the Consumer Prince Index, and remove the requirement for filers under the threshold to file the personal property (FP-31) tax return form. We will reintroduce this bill in the new year.
To help reduce the financial burden on District businesses and address concerns raised by multiple restaurants and bars, I, along with Councilmember Pinto, introduced the Restaurant Revitalization and Dram Shop Clarification Amendment Act of 2024 (formerly the Dram Shop Clarification Amendment Act of 2023). This bill reforms our liquor liability laws helping to lower insurance premiums without sacrificing safety. Following the enactment of this legislation in June 2024, the District’s liquor liability ISO score dropped from 9 (the highest risk) to 5, a significant win that should help small businesses citywide save on insurance premiums and reinvest in DC communities.
The District pays millions of taxpayer dollars to contractors, grantees, organizations, and individuals with the expectation that they will deliver services and goods to the District according to agreed upon terms. When those entities do not deliver accordingly, it can be difficult to recover the squandered public funds. I introduced the Public Incentive Transparency and Accountability Act of 2024 so that performance accountability tools would be more readily available to the District. There was a public hearing on this bill in October 2024.
In an effort to protect the safety and security of the District’s retail establishments, their workers, and customers, I introduced the Entertainment Establishment Employee Safety Amendment Act of 2024. The bill would exempt Class C and D alcohol license holders from being required to carry cash, alleviating the potential for crimes like theft which endanger and ultimately hinder the growth of our District. The Council passed a version of this on Emergency this month, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the permanent bill next year.
The provisions of my Fair Wage Amendment Act of 2023, which prohibit an employer from screening prospective employees based on their wage history or seeking the wage history of a prospective employee, were included in the Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023 (previously known as the Pay Scale and Benefits Disclosure Amendment Act of 2023), which was enacted in March 2024. This law minimizes wage disparities for people who historically have been underpaid due to biases against age, race and gender.
Supporting the District’s School Communities
Ensuring that special education students experience academic stability and guidance regarding their educational environment is crucial to meeting the needs of our students. The Advancing Equity in Special Education Protocols Amendment Act of 2024 would give students who have individualized education programs (IEP) the right to remain in a school within their initial placement feeder pattern; codify staff-to-student ratio standards for self-contained special education classrooms; and require written communication about how the changes will meet the student’s IEP to families, teachers, and administrators if either situation changes. There was a public hearing on this bill in November 2024.
Strong charter school governance directly contributes to the success and sustainability of our public charter schools. The Board of Trustees Training Amendment Act of 2024 creates stability through improved oversight of public charter schools by requiring newly elected and appointed board members of a public charter school’s Board of Trustees to complete annual trainings on issues related to non-profit Board governance including financial management. We will reintroduce this bill in the new year.
Ensuring that students receive home or hospital instruction when they are unable to attend school is critical to their academic learning, which is why I introduced the Extended Students' Right to Home or Hospital Instruction Amendment Act of 2023. This legislation makes students who are experiencing health conditions such as pre-birth complications, childbirth, and postpartum recovery, eligible for home or hospital instruction after having previously been excluded. This bill was enacted in June 2024.
The Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund (PEF) is an essential part of DC’s workforce and our economic stability. After being cut from the Mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget, its restoration took a united effort across the entire Council to restore. I consider the reimplementation of this funding to be one of the greatest accomplishments of the FY25 budget. You can read a more in-depth explanation of how the funding was restored, here.
I’ve often heard from teachers who say they were denied access to funding for special education classroom equipment for students with the highest needs. Working with my colleagues, we were able to secure a dedicated budget line of $104,729 for special education self-contained classroom equipment within the District of Columbia Public School’s (DCPS) budget.
Sustaining Safe, Vibrant Neighborhoods
To improve the pipeline of 911 call-takers and dispatchers at the Office of Unified Communications, I introduced the Retired Firefighter and Police Officer Redeployment Amendment Act of 2023 last year, and the Council immediately implemented an identical emergency measure to allow retired Metropolitan Police Department officers and retired firefighters from the Fire and Emergency Services Department to be rehired as a temporary full-time or temporary part-time 911 call taker or 911 dispatcher without jeopardizing their retirement benefits. The permanent measure was approved by the Council in November.
As a member of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I have a responsibility to provide oversight that finds solutions to our community’s public safety challenges. This year I requested information regarding the Office of Unified Communication’s (OUC) progress and agency performance given the concerning outcomes and system outages that have occurred. You can read my letter outlining concerns, here, and OUC’s response, here. I also participated in the Committee’s hearings and roundtables this year and will continue to be a servant of the people with public safety at front of mind.
Making Our Neighborhoods Safer and Cleaner
In an effort to address transit safety, I introduced the ATE Enforcement Effectiveness Amendment Act of 2023, which would make traffic violations captured by an ATE system point-eligible, and the License Suspension Reform Amendment Act of 2023, which would suspend the license and registration of all vehicles owned by or registered in the name of any person charged with a DUI, with fleeing the scene of an accident, or of negligent homicide while driving. The Committee on Transportation included elements of these provisions in the STEER Amendment Act of 2023, which was passed by the full Council in early 2024. These requirements will remove negligent and scofflaw drivers from our roadways and increase traffic safety for all drivers, bikers, and pedestrians in the District.
I also introduced the Leveraging Engagement in Transit Services for Greater Outcomes Amendment Act of 2023 which would require the Department of For-Hire Vehicles to prepare and publish an annual ridership report for its microtransit and paratransit programs. These alternative transit programs connect residents with housing, healthcare, and education services, and they primarily serve seniors, low-income veterans, and residents with disabilities who prefer to use on-demand, door-to-door transportation services. There was a public hearing on this bill in February 2024.
In order to improve access to healthy and nutritious food options for underserved residents, I introduced the Food Access by Public Transit Study Amendment Act of 2023, which would require the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to conduct a study on public transportation access to grocery stores in neighborhoods where there are few food access points. DDOT would also be required to assess current transportation modes and routes used to travel to and from grocery stores. There was a public hearing on this bill in March 2024.
As one of the co-Chairs for the National Capital Region Transportation Board (TPB) I signed a Car Free Day proclamation on behalf of TPB on July 17, 2024, that declared September 23, 2024 to be Car Free Day and invited those who live and work in the region to try alternative forms of transportation such as transit, biking, scootering, walking, and “car-lite” methods such as carpooling and vanpools in efforts to benefit the region through improved air quality, mobility, energy conservation, and reduced parking demands.
Good Government
Faced with the prospect of another federal government shutdown, I introduced the Let Our Vows Endure Emergency Amendment Act of 2023at the request of the Mayor, which would reassign the responsibility for officiating civil marriages from the Clerk of the Superior Court to the Mayor when the federal government is unfunded. The Council unanimously approved this common-sense and necessary fix. Though the bill expired in February 2024, I believe there should be a permanent measure.
The Certificate of Assurance Repeal Amendment Act which was introduced in 2023, was folded into the Fairness and Stability in Housing Amendment Act of 2024 which passed on second reading earlier this month. This bill officially repeals a complicated and antiquated law that was never implemented but would have limited our ability to consider policy changes in the rental housing space. The Council approved this on multiple Emergencies since 2020. There was a public hearing on this bill in March 2024.
Committee on Health Updates
I am thankful to have had the opportunity to serve as Chair for the Committee on Health for Council Period 25 (CP25). During CP25 the Committee has held oversight hearings for District agencies and Board operations and made thoughtful and comprehensive recommendations for investments to ensure that agencies have the resources to fulfill their mission to improve public health outcomes. You can view the full Committee on Health Report for CP25 here.
Below, you’ll find some of our key accomplishments over this past year.
Enhancing Behavioral Health and Substance Use Treatment
In FY25 the Committee allocated $1,350,000 to expand programs created through the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Services Targeted Outreach Pilot Act of 2023, which focuses on outreach, harm reduction, and support services at high-need locations in Ward 1, 5, and 7. The expansion included adding new sites in Ward 5, 6, and 8.
$400,000 was also allocated from the Opioid Abatement Settlement Fund to sustain the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Illicit Drug Surveillance Program, which provides critical data on opioid-related fatalities to inform public health strategies.
To improve access to behavioral health services and enhance oversight of the District’s behavioral health system the Committee passed the Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard Act of 2024, which requires the creation of a centralized directory and dashboard for youth behavioral health services. This resource will consolidate information on available services, eligibility criteria, and real-time capacity data, making it easier for families, caregivers, and providers to navigate the system.
The Committee also passed the Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Support and Hospitalization Amendment Act of 2024, which provides healthcare professionals, residents, and courts with clearer, more transparent policies and resources. The bill significantly updates the District's mental health intervention and hospitalization processes, prioritizing rapid access to care while safeguarding patient rights.
In the FY25 budget, the Committee restored a proposed $907,000 cut that would have eliminated the mental health urgent care clinic at the Superior Court. The Committee then formalized the existence of the clinic, that provides mental health assessments, crisis intervention, and care coordination for justice involved individuals, by passing the Mental Health Court Urgent Care Clinic Act of 2024.
Lastly, in the FY25 budget, the Committee funded $300,000 through a transfer from the Committee on Business and Economic Development to increase resources and support for individuals struggling with Problem Gambling Disorder.
Improving Health for Birthing Parents and Families
In 2023, the Committee passed the Expanding Access to Fertility Treatment Amendment Act of 2023. The bill requires individual health plans, group plans, and insurers offering coverage through Medicaid and the D.C. Healthcare Alliance to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). It ensures that coverage is offered without discrimination based on age, gender, race, among other factors, and prevents insurers from imposing limitations of coverage based on pre-existing conditions. While the Medicaid aspect of the bill was funded through the FY24 budget, in the FY25 budget the Committee funded the DC Health Benefit Exchange (HBX) component so that HBX beneficiaries can start accessing the benefits in 2025.
The Home Visiting Services Reimbursement Act of 2023, passed in 2024, establishes a reimbursement framework for home visiting services aimed at providing prenatal, postpartum, and early childhood support. It ensures that Medicaid and other insurers reimburse qualified home visiting programs, helping to improve maternal and child health outcomes. To further support its funding the Committee allocated $100,000 for nurse-led home visiting for families.
The Committee made an additional budget investment to support maternal and infant health by providing $300,000 in the FY25 budget to fund the Childcare for Pregnant and Birthing Parents Amendment Act of 2024, which provides childcare to pregnant and birthing parents and legal guardians who need urgent medical treatment at a birthing hospital or facility in the District.
Increasing Healthy Food Access
In the FY 2025 budget, the Committee invested $600,000 for Produce Plus, which provides funding for low-income residents to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers markets, to increase program participation by 2,500 for this high-demand program that consistently has a long waitlist. The Committee also ensured stable funding for the Healthy Food Access Grant programs by moving these critical programs from one-time funds to recurring funds, for a total of $5,410,000.
The Committee also moved the Grocery Access Pilot Program Amendment Act of 2024, which established a pilot grocery access program to be administered by the Department of Health that will provide 1,000 District residents with free grocery delivery. The program is focused on residents who participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program Education Program (SNAP-Ed). The Committee funded this pilot at $120,000, while sustaining the investments made in programs from the year prior.
Enhancing Patient Care and Health Outcomes
Significant progress was made regarding policies to enhance patient safety in 2024, such as the Radiation Protection Act of 2024 which enhances the District’s oversight over equipment in healthcare settings that emits ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and modernizes the District’s enforcement protocols for protecting the public from potentially harmful effects of radiation. The legislation was partially funded through an allocation through the FY25 budget.
The Committee also made financial commitments in the FY25 budget to promote public health prevention and patient safety by restoring $350,000 for at-home HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection testing, a critical service used by almost 6,000 District residents each year, that lost its federal funding. The Committee also created a new Tobacco Use Cessation Fund through the Tobacco Use Cessation Initiatives Amendment Act of 2024, dedicated to tobacco use prevention and cessation, specifically focused on youth vaping use, and allocated $3,420,000 over the financial plan to the new Fund from the JUUL Settlement Funds collected by the Office of the Attorney General.
The Safe and Supported Pregnancy Amendment Act of 2024 was introduced to further the District’s commitment to providing quality maternity care and safe delivery by requiring the Department of Corrections to establish a standard operating procedure for health care for incarcerated individuals who are pregnant and postpartum, including offering specialized healthcare and providing medical and personal care supplies to incarcerated individuals who are pregnant and postpartum.
The Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024 was introduced to increase health equity in the District by requiring private health insurance plans, Medicaid, and the DC Healthcare Alliance to cover vasectomy services with no copayments, deductibles, or other cost sharing requirements.
Promoting Student and Youth Health and Achievement
In 2024, the Committee took several steps to improve access to critical health services, including emergency medications, for students during the school day by approving two pieces of legislation. The Access to Emergency Medications Amendment Act of 2023, which requires schools to have two staff trained to administer emergency medications like albuterol and glucagon to students experiencing medical emergencies; and Seizure-Safe Schools Amendment Act of 2024, which mandates seizure action plans for students with seizure disorders and provides seizure safety training for school personnel.
In the FY 2025 budget, the Committee added an additional $1,411,000 to enhance the School Health Services Program, including training for school nurses, health technicians, and staff, and increased access to telehealth services in school health suites. In FY 2025, the Committee also fully funded the Access to Emergency Medications Amendment Act of 2023, which was estimated to cost $757,000.
To ensure that children’s health insurance coverage was not interrupted during their early years of development the Committee passed the Childhood Continuous Coverage Act of 2023, which requires continuous health insurance coverage for children, regardless of changes in their family’s income or status. The bill ensures that children do not lose healthcare coverage due to temporary income fluctuations or bureaucratic delays. To fulfill a new federal requirement, the Committee included $6.9 million in the FY25 budget to support 12 months of continuous coverage for children. Later, the Committee received testimony that funding the Childhood Continuous Coverage Act of 2023 would be duplicative with the new federal requirement, so the bill itself was not funded but the children have access to similar coverage.
In the FY25 budget the Committee approved the Sexual Health Peer Educators Grant Amendment Act of 2024, which established competitive grants to train high school students as sexual health peer educators to deliver sexual health education and distribute resources such as condoms and referrals to STI testing centers.
Improving Access to Health Care Infrastructure
Health care facilities often face significant delays in their attempts to obtain a Certificate of Need (CON), which is required for new health establishments and those that wish to make substantial capital improvements. These delays can be unnecessary obstacles for health care facilities aiming to work in the District to address these hurdles I introduced the Certificate of Need Improvement Amendment Act of 2024.
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