Washington,D.C. — Today, At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson introduced the FairWage Amendment Act of 2021, the Safe Passage to School Expansion Act of2021, and the Interagency Council on Behavioral Health Establishment Act of 2021.  

“I am proud to introduce three bills that advance an equity agenda that supports women, students, and vulnerable communities in the District of Columbia,” saidHenderson. “I firmly believe that in the District of Columbia your zip-code should not determine your opportunity for success, and the three bills I introduced today will help expand opportunity for District residents.”

The FairWage Amendment Act of 2021 would prohibit employers from asking prospective employees how much they earned at their previous jobs. In the District ofColumbia, Black women make just 51 cents for every dollar white men earn. TheNational Women’s Law Center projects that over the course of a 40-year career, a Black woman in the District will make $1.98 million less than white men because of this earnings gap. “We must act to protect women from wage discrimination and stop a practice that prevents women from earning equal pay for equal work,”said Henderson.

The SafePassage to School Expansion Act of 2021 elevates, expands and coordinates safe passage programs in multiple government agencies by creating a dedicated Office of Safe Passage reporting directly to the Mayor.“As the Committee Director for the Committee on Education, I heard countless, heartbreaking stories about the challenges, dangers, and fear of students traversing their neighborhoods and the city to get to and from school. We need to break down barriers to attendance once we are back to full-time in-person learning, and ensuring coordinated safe passage will move us in the right direction,” said Henderson.

Finally, theInteragency Council on Behavioral Health Establishment Act of 2021 brings together District agency leaders, service providers, community-based organizations, and patients themselves to facilitate cross-sectoral responses and eliminate gaps in our continuum of behavioral health care. With a Director reporting to the Mayor, the Interagency Council would be accountable for long-range strategic planning, annual reporting on progress, and ultimately improving outcomes for individuals in the behavioral health system. “TheCOVID-19 pandemic has laid bare a growing mental health crisis here in theDistrict and across the country. From increased suicides in COVID-vulnerable communities, to rising substance abuse and record opioid deaths, we cannot wait to improve our coordination and delivery of behavioral health services for our residents,” said Henderson.

These three bills were previously introduced by former At-Large Councilmember David Grosso.

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