Neighbors,

On Wednesday, the Committee of the Whole held its final vote on the Fiscal Year 2025 Local Budget Act of 2024. While the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Support Act of 2024 will receive its final vote later this month, the majority of “the budget” is officially out of Council purview as the process now heads back to the Executive. I can confidently state that the entire DC Council flipped over not just couch cushions but the entire house to restore funding to critical programs within this budget.  

Since our first vote on the FY25 budget, some additional items of importance were included in the second circulation ahead of Wednesday’s final vote and are below:

• The Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking received an allocation of $146,179 to partially implement the New Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights Amendment Act of 2024, which I first introduced in 2021. The bill provides additional affirmative protections for student loan borrowers to prohibit unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices.
• The Office of Unified Communications (OUC) was allocated $250,000 to fund an upgrade to a public safety alert system between OUC and our DCPS and public charter schools.
• The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice was allocated an additional $300,000 to create a Brookland Metro Station safe passage priority area for the 2024-2025 school year, further emphasizing our prioritization of investments in the safety of school communities.
• Portions of the Open Movie Captioning Requirement Amendment Act of 2023 was funded with an allocation of $15,000 to create public awareness campaigns to continue making our city accessible and inclusive.
• The Office of the State Superintendent of Education received a restoration of $9.5 million to continue to fund the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP), which enables our community-based organizations to help meet the demand of Pre-K services.
• The Department of Buildings (DOB) was allocated $140,000 to further enhance the Nuisance Abatement Fund, which allows DOB to make repairs of housing violations or property maintenance conditions throughout the city, for a total enhancement of $840,000.
• The Metropolitan Police Department received an allocation of $18,501 to begin implementation of the record sealing provisions of the Secure DC Omnibus law, which will allow for those petitioning to have their records sealed to receive the service sooner.

You can look back at other highlights from the budget here and here. Though this part of the budget may be over, our work here at the Council goes on. This week, I also introduced the Advancing Equity in Special Education Protocols Amendment Act of 2024. Written in collaboration with special education teachers and advocates, the bill would provide greater stability for special education students, provide special education students with the right of choice just like general education students, increase communication between DC Public Schools (DCPS) and families, and ensure special education students are receiving quality care by codifying staff-to-student ratios for self-contained special education classrooms. You can learn more about the bill from our press release from earlier this week.

We’re halfway through June and there is much to celebrate this month. I would like to extend a deepfelt congratulations to all DCPS and public charter school students graduating this month, as well as wish those celebrating a Happy Father’s Day, Happy Juneteenth, and Happy Pride!  

In service, Christina HendersonCouncilmember, At-LargeChristinaHendersonDC.com

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Committee on Health Roundtable Update

On Wednesday, June 5, the Committee on Health convened to review nominations to the Board of Medicine, the Board of Podiatry, the Board of Dentistry, and the Commission on Health Equity. Councilmember Henderson led the meeting as chair of the Committee on Health. During the roundtable Councilmember Henderson focused on the qualifications and visions of the four nominees. See the list of nominees below.

• Board of Medicine Nominee:  Dr. Miriam Michael
• Board of Podiatry Nominee: Dr. Teresa Hilliard
• Board of Dentistry Nominees: Dr. Chanelle Roberts, Dr. Imani Lewis, and Dr. Michelle Latortue
• Commission on Health Equity Nominees: Nicole Stratchan, Mighty Fine, Dr. Suyanna Linhales Barker, Ana Lopez van Balen, and Dr. Linda Elam  

On Thursday, June 13 the Committee on Health held a hearing on several nominations for the Food Policy Council. The nominees included: Mya Price, Beverely Wheeler, Carrie Vaughan, Nicholas Stavely, Jason Kellogg, and Angela Chester-Johnson. The nominees have diverse backgrounds and skillsets. During the hearing Councilmember Henderson discussed with them challenges to the growth of urban agriculture, ways to improve entrepreneurship in the food space, ideas around food access, and issues they hoped to work on during their tenure on the Food Policy Council.

Upcoming Hearings and Roundtables

Here is the upcoming schedule for the Committee on Health. If you are interested in testifying or submitting written testimony you can sign up on the Council’s website at dccouncil.gov/hearings.

Christina in the Community

Truck Touch and Electric Vehicle Grand Prix

Councilmember Henderson started the month off with an appearance at DC’s Department of Public Works (DPW) annual Truck Touch event on June 1. The event was co-sponsored by DPW and the 12th Annual DC Electric Vehicle (EV) Grand Prix and hosted by the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), Global EEE, and Pepco. Truck Touch featured demonstrations of vehicles used to clean and repair streets, change traffic lights, provide emergency services, and more. The event also included the showcasing of EV vehicles created by high school students under the guidance of engineers from Global EEE. Councilmember Henderson and Director of DPW, Timothy W. Spriggs (left) are pictured above.  

Kick off of DC Pride

The following Monday (June 3) Councilmember Henderson joined DC’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Affairs to celebrate the beginning of Pride Month and the raising of the Pride Flag at the Wilson Building.

Capital Area Food Bank Annual Garden Party

Later in the week on Wednesday, June 5, Councilmember Henderson attended the Capital Area Food Bank’s Annual Garden Party. The event facilitates discussion on community engagement and how to better provide healthy meals to the surrounding neighborhood.

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Capital Pride Parade

On Saturday, June 8, Councilmember Henderson participated in the Capital Pride Parade in allyship with the District’s LGTBQ+ community. The parade's new route started at 14th and T Street NW and ended at ended at 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. During the parade WMATA experienced a significant increase in ridership. See below for a highlight of statistics:

• On June 8, WMATA had a total of 650,000 trips through bus and metrorail, which was a post pandemic high;
• Metrorail experienced the highest weekend ridership day since the Nationals World Series Parade with a total of 418,000 rides;  
• McPherson and U Street station experienced the highest day of ridership since 2016 with 31,000 customers.

DMVMoves Taskforce

On Monday, June 10, Councilmember Henderson participated in the first meeting of the DMVMoves Task Force, a group of regional leaders tasked with putting WMATA on a path to financial sustainability. Information on the group’s work over the next 11 months can be found at dmvmoves.org.

African American Mayors Association

Councilmember Henderson met with summer fellows from the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) on Thursday, June 13. The fellows attended the Committee on Health’s morning hearing and afterwards met with the Councilmember to discuss her guiding principle of “not allowing one's zip code to determine your success,” how she partners with local nonprofits to improve outcomes for DC residents, how she navigated starting in local government, and maintaining her work life balance.

In Case You Missed It: Councilmember Henderson in the News

Workload concerns fuel labor fight at D.C.’s largest health clinic, Jenna Portnoy for The Washington Post, 06/1/2024

Councilmember Henderson Visits, Andrew Lightman for HillRag, 06/07/2024

DMV transit task force hosts inaugural meeting to discuss top priorities, Matthew Torres for WUSA 9, 6/10/2024

D.C. man charged in day-care attack was released— then arrested again, Peter Hermann for The Washington Post, 6/13/2024

 Constituent Service Corner

Sun Bucks Benefits

With summer on the way, so is the rollout of DC Sun Bucks, formerly known as Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (SEBT). This program provides grocery-buying benefits to income-eligible families when schools are closed for the summer. SUN Bucks benefits will come in the form of a pre-loaded card with a one-time $120 benefit per child for the summer that families can use to purchase groceries. You can view eligibility criteria and application information here.  

Public Meeting: Shaping the Future of Anacostia Park

Join the National Park Service on June 25, 6:30pm at Anacostia High School to learn about the design plans for Anacostia Park, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their feedback. The final commenting period for the park will extend until August 30. You can join the meeting virtually by clicking here.  

Learn more information about the Reimaging of Anacostia Park here.  

Community Based Grants Sponsored by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG)

The OAG is currently seeking proposals from non-profit Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) interested in operating the FY25 Cure the Streets: Domestic Workers Employment Rights, Leaders of Tomorrow: Youth Violence Prevention or Workplace Rights grant program.  

You can view the eligible criteria for the application here.  

Summer 2024 Red Line Construction

Summer construction has started on the Red Line, closing Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, & Takoma stations. Takoma Station reopens June 30. Remaining stations will be closed through August 31. Follow the link to plan your travel here.  

Be a Better Bus Hero

Share Your Input on Metro's Proposed 2025 Better Bus Network! Review and provide feedback on the proposed 2025 Network by using Metro's interactive comment map, taking a survey, submitting written comments, or uploading a document at wmata.com/betterbus by 5:00 p.m. on July 15. Or, provide testimony at an in-person or virtual Public Hearing. To view the full schedule of in-person events, visit wmata.com/betterbus. Share your feedback online by July 15 for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card.

Stay Cool in a District Pool

The weather is getting warmer and taking advantage of the District’s many pools is a great way to cool off. The Department of Parks and Recreation has a complete list of indoor pools, outdoor pools, and spray parks. You can view them here.  

Become a DPR Lifeguard

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is excited to offer free lifeguard training certification courses. DPR uses the International Lifeguard Training Program (ILTP) to train and certified lifeguards to work at both indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities across the District. To register for an upcoming course, click here.

Have a constituent service need related to the Health Committee or any of the other agencies in DC Government? Want Councilmember Henderson to come to your community event or meeting? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Constituent Services Director Ana Berrios-Vazquez during regular business hours (9:00am - 5:30pm) at 202-724-8105, or ABerriosVazquez@dccouncil.gov.  

Information on Services

• DPW Helping Hand Neighborhood Cleanup: Residents can apply to coordinate a Helping Hand Neighborhood Clean Up. The program supplies toolkits and trash bags to those who apply. Applications open in March and can be viewed here.  
• Know Your Rights When Making Purchases Through SNAP:  
  • SNAP Retailers Cannot:  
    • Charge a transaction fee to consumers paying with a SNAP card;
    • Set a minimum transaction amount for qualified SNAP purchases;
    • Require a minimum SNAP card balance in order to make a qualified purchase;
    • Require SNAP users to make a SNAP card balance inquiry before making a purchase.
      
• If you know of SNAP retailers in the District that are not following the law, please report it to the DC Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Mediation Program by:
  • Calling OAG’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (202) 442-9828;
  • Emailing protection@dc.gov; or
  • Submitting a consumer complaint online here.
  • Medicaid Renewal, Don’t Wait to Update: All DC residents with health coverage through Medicaid, Alliance, or the Immigrant Children’s Program must renew their coverage. Please visit the District Direct website to update your address, phone number, and/or email so that the Department of Healthcare Finance (DHCF) knows where to send your Medicaid renewal letter. If you require assistance, please call the Public Benefits Center at 202-727-5355.
• Medicaid Renewal, Don’t Wait to Update: All DC residents with health coverage through Medicaid, Alliance, or the Immigrant Children’s Program must renew their coverage. Please visit the District Direct website to update your address, phone number, and/or email so that the Department of Healthcare Finance (DHCF) knows where to send your Medicaid renewal letter. If you require assistance, please call the Public Benefits Center at 202-727-5355.

Covid Tests

• Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests: DC Public Libraries have at-home tests available for pickup! For a full list of library locations with test kits available, click here.

Prevention Services  

• DC Prevention Centers provide education on drugs and substance abuse, prevention strategy training for youth, families, schools and communities, prevention material distribution, and tobacco use prevention programs. For a map of prevention centers in each ward, click here.
• Hillcrest Children and Family Center (915 Rhode Island Avenue NW) is a participant in the DC Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Expansion Program (ASTEP). For neighbors in need of intensive out-patient group, individual and family services, assessments, and basic education activities to delay the onset of experimentation with drugs and alcohol, you can click here to make an appointment or call at 202-232-2300.

Misc.

• Have a constituent service need related to the Health Committee or any of the other agencies in DC Government? Want Councilmember Henderson to come to your community event or meeting? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Constituent Services Director Ana Berrios-Vazquez during regular business hours (9:00am - 5:30pm) at 202-724-8105, or ABerriosVazquez@dccouncil.gov.  

Stay Connected

Thank you for reading! Please stay in touch.

• Visit my official website: ChristinaHendersondc.com
• Follow me on Twitter: @CMCHenderson
• Like our Facebook page: Councilmember Christina Henderson
• Follow our Instagram: @ChristinaHendersondc

Christina Henderson
At-Large Councilmember
chenderson@dccouncil.gov

Mike Shaffer
Chief of Staff
mshaffer@dccouncil.gov

Heather Edelman
Deputy Chief of Staff
hedelman@dccouncil.gov

Gabrielle Rogoff
Legislative Director
grogoff@dccouncil.gov

Ana Berríos-Vázquez
Constituent Services Director
aberriosvazquez@dccouncil.gov

Sierra Wallace
Communications Director
swallace@dccouncil.gov

Nicholas Pcholkin
Senior Legislative Assistant
npcholkin@dccouncil.gov

Taylor Coleman
Legislative Aide 
tcoleman@dccouncil.gov

Health Committee

Ona Balkus
Committee Director
obalkus@dccouncil.gov

Marcia Huff
Senior Policy Advisor
mhuff@dccouncil.gov
Rebecca Cooper
Health Policy Advisor
rcooper@dccouncil.gov
Ashley Strange
Legislative Assistant
astrange@dccouncil.gov

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