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Neighbors,
As you know, for the last few weeks my team and I have been focused on agency performance oversight hearings that the Council holds every year. During this time, I am consistently reminded that good government requires accountability. We have many good programs in DC, and we need these current programs to work well. I’m truly appreciative all of the public witnesses who show up to testify at these hearings and provide their perspective on interacting with agencies over the past year. We have one more week of hearings. You can find the full list here.
One legislative update I want to highlight is a new bill I introduced with all my female colleagues on Valentine’s Day. The Advancing the Range of Reproductive Options for Washingtonians (ARROW) Act of 2024 requires private health insurance plans, Medicaid, and the DC Healthcare Alliance to cover vasectomy services with no sharing requirements. ARROW reinforces that belief that reproductive healthcare isn’t just for those with uteruses and emphasizes consideration and equal partnership in decisions about starting a family. It also falls in line with my history of introducing healthcare legislation that expands access for our residents. With the introduction of ARROW, DC is on its way to joining 9 states that already have similar legislation in place.
The rest of the newsletter is full of updates on Performance Oversight, my upcoming community meetings, and more. Read on...
In Service,
Christina Henderson
Councilmember At-Large
Chairperson, Committee on Health
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Health Committee Updates
On Wednesday, February 14, the Committee on Health held a Performance Oversight Hearing on the DC Health Benefit Exchange (HBX) and Health Professional Boards (Board of Nursing, Board of Veterinary Medicine, Board of Massage Therapy, Board of Dietetics and Nutrition). The Committee’s discussion included HBX’s remarkable financial stability, enrollment numbers for DC Health Link Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), their reduction of health insurance premiums for child development facilities and their employees, and Medicaid redetermination processes. The Health Professional Boards portion of the hearing highlighted the oversight of various nursing professions, processing times for dietitian and nutritionist applications, the management of professional misconduct cases on the Board of Massage Therapy, and enhancing application processing time by the Board of Veterinary Medicine.
Performance Oversight Roundtables
The Judiciary and Public Safety Committee held a Performance Oversight Hearing on the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Tuesday, February 13. Issues Councilmember Henderson focused on during the hearing included MPD’s protocols for officers’ Narcan deployment training, the Department's crisis response training curriculum, practices when disabling old service weapons, reliance on private security camera companies when investigating crimes, MPD’s traffic enforcement practices and the outcomes of their traffic checkpoint program, community perception of MPD’s responsiveness, and law enforcement’s ability to address threats to community.
On Wednesday, February 14, the Judiciary Committee held a Performance Oversight Hearing on the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) at which the committee heard from government witness, Interim Director Kwelli D. Sneed. Issues discussed during the hearing included ONSE’s process for evaluating their grantees’ and sub-grantees’ performance, whether ONSE or their grantees have yet recruited violence interrupters who are fluent in Spanish, plans to fill vacancies in the Leadership Academy programs and thereby increase the programmatic reach in District middle and high schools, the People of Promise violence interruption program and its transition to a service referral model, the numbers of those eligible for the People of Promise program versus the number of participants, and ONSE’s practices for setting its key performance indicators.
The Committee on Housing held a Performance Oversight Hearing on the Department of Housing and Community Development on Thursday, February 15. Topics discussed included the formula for annual stabilized rent increases, the moratoria on certificates of assurance and on voluntary agreements, strategies for increasing homeownership in the District, raising the number of Black homeowners in the District, issues that residents have reported with the HPAP program over the past year, and the agency’s strategies for increasing affordable housing in the Rock Creek West planning area.
On Thursday, February 22, the Committee on Housing held a Performance Oversight Hearing on the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), the committee heard from government witness, Executive Director Keith Pettigrew. Areas focused on included DCHA’s progress addressing deficiencies that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) identified in the agency’s management across departments, including discussing timelines for new policy and regulation deliverables, DCHA’s capital needs and plans for a capital needs assessment, as well as their plans to fully obligate all capital subsidies awarded by the District, how the agency’s partnerships with other agencies impact the take-up of available special-purpose vouchers, specifically those set aside for returning citizens and LGBTQ residents, the health impacts of lead and mold in public housing and the agency’s procedures for addressing and remediating internal environments, plans to reinvigorate its customer service department, which includes setting up satellite offices in each quadrant of the District, and about the Director’s plans to turn the agency around by restoring resident and public confidence in the agency.
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Upcoming Performance Oversight Hearings
The performance oversight hearing schedule is live and can be viewed here, https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings/.
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Key Legislative Updates
Introduction of the Advancing the Range of Reproductive Options for Washingtonians Amendment Act of 2024
The Advancing the Range of Reproductive Options for Washingtonians Amendment Act of 2024 was introduced by Councilmember Henderson on February 14. 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. The bill was co-introduced with Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Brianne K. Nadeau, Brooke Pinto, and Janeese Lewis George.
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Christina in the Community
Sierra Club DC
Councilmember Henderson met with Sierra Club DC about the Healthy Homes Act and discussed how the Healthy Homes Program would install electronic appliances for low and moderate households.
Fox 5 DC Interview
Councilmember Henderson was interviewed by FOX 5 DC this week on the passage of the Extended Students’ Right to Home or Hospital Instruction Amendment Act of 2023. During the interview Councilmember Henderson discussed who the bill would impact and how excited she was for the legislation.
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In Case You Missed It: Councilmember Henderson in the News
During Medicaid Redetermination Local Service Providers Push for Smoother Application Process, 2/13/2024, Sam P.K. Collins for the Washington Informer
Loose Lips Links, Feb. 14, 2/14/2024, Alex Koma for Washington City Paper
Out of Ink: Washington Post Reduced Daily Editorials in Another Turn Away From Local Coverage, 2/16/2024, Vince Morris for Washington City Paper
DC Officials Scramble to Spend As Emergency Order on Opioids Lapses, 2/18/2024, Jenna Portnoy for the Washington Post
DYRS Budget Oversight Hearing Sheds Light on Treatment, Staffing Gaps, 2/20/204, Sam P.K. Collins for the Washington Informer
DC Council Likely to Pass Bill to Help Teen Parents Stay In School, 2/20/2024, Sarah Y. Kim for DCist
Constituent Service Corner
March Madness
Councilmember Christina Henderson will be hosting Community Service Office Hours in March. Stay tuned for updates.
March 6 10:30- 12:00 - Lillian J. Huff/Lamond-Riggs Library
March 13 10:30-12:00 - Cleveland Park Library
March 18 9:30- 11:00 - Highlands Café and Grill (Ward 7 location)
Information on Services
Covid Tests
Prevention Services
Misc.
Stay Connected
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