PR 26-0297 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Community Health Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025

This resolution declares a health emergency to allow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Washington, D.C. to administer recommended vaccines (for respiratory illnesses like flu, RSV, and COVID-19) without a prescription during the 2025-2026 respiratory season. It directly affects pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and residents (including minors under 18) by removing a current legal barrier tied to federal policy changes. The key mechanism amends two existing laws - the Health Occupations Revision Act of 1985 and the Consent for Vaccinations of Minors Amendment Act of 2022 - to align with prior seasons when pharmacists could independently provide these immunizations. The resolution takes effect immediately to prevent pharmacy closures of vaccine services during the upcoming respiratory disease surge.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics: Prescription Drugs

Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Sep 2025

Committee Review

Council Passage

Sep 2025

Signed into Law

Sep 2025

Introduced Sep 16, 2025 Signed Sep 17, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → Enrollment · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill moved from Introduction to Enrollment with mostly formatting and grammatical changes, plus one substantive rename: the companion act referenced in Section 3 was changed from the 'Immunizations Emergency Amendment Act of 2025' to the 'Community Health Emergency Amendment Act of 2025,' broadening the framing from vaccines specifically to community health generally. The document was also reformatted into standard enrolled resolution format with a new bill number (26-191) and date.

SCOPE

The companion act name in Section 3 was changed from 'Immunizations Emergency Amendment Act of 2025' to 'Community Health Emergency Amendment Act of 2025,' broadening the stated scope from immunizations specifically to community health more generally.

TECHNICAL

Minor grammatical and stylistic edits throughout Section 2: 'uncertainty about' became 'uncertainty over,' added 'that' before 'they will not be able,' corrected 'a pharmacists' ability' to 'a pharmacist's ability,' and simplified 'Enactment of emergency legislation is necessary' to 'Emergency legislation is necessary.'

Document reformatted from a proposed resolution with sponsor attribution (Councilmember Christina Henderson) to an enrolled original format with bill number 26-191 and date September 17, 2025.

Floor votes · Council Sep 17, 2025

How they voted

12–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 13

Sep 17, 2025

D Democratic11

10 Yea 1

90% Yea

I Independent2

2 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Sep 17, 2025

Council · Passed

Council Vote: pass (12-0-1)

council

Sep 16, 2025

Introduced

PR26-0297 Introduced by Councilmember Henderson at Office of the Secretary

legislature

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors