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UPDATE: 11/28/2023 - Effective from Nov 28, 2023, Expires on Jul 10, 2024; Law Number L25-0077.
UPDATE: 10/13/2023 - The bill was transmitted to Congress with a projected law date of 12/1/2023.
UPDATE: 10/11/2023 - B25-0378 was enacted and signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser on 10/11/2023; Act Number A25-0224.
UPDATE: 9/19/2023 - B25-0378 passed the final reading in the Committee on the Whole by a vote of 13 Yes, 0 No and enrolled on 9/19/2023.
UPDATE: 6/11/2023 - B25-0378 passed first reading in the Committee on the Whole by a vote of 12 Yes, 1 Absent on 6/11/2023.
B25-0378 was introduced by Councilmember Christina Henderson and Chairman Phil Mendelson on 7/10/2023.
B25-0378 would amend, on a temporary basis, the Immunization of School Students Act of 1979 to remove the requirement that eligible students in the District of Columbia receive a vaccination against COVID-19. This would be done by amending three sections of Code:
- (a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 38-501) is amended by striking paragraph 2A:
Section 38-501 describes what vaccines are required to obtain a "certificate of immunization." Striking paragraph 2A would remove the COVID-19 vaccine from this certificate.
- (b) Section 3a(a) (D.C. Official Code § 38-502.01(a)), is repealed.
This would remove the student requirement to submit a certification of COVID-19 immunization, or a document demonstrating the student is exempt from COVID-19 vaccination, before being admitted to school.
- (c) Section 4 (D.C. Official Code § 38-503) is amended by striking the phrase “; provided, that the Mayor may not issue regulations that conflict with the requirements of section 3a.” and inserting a period in its place."
This original text reads: "The Mayor shall, by regulations, specify the immunization standards to be used for compliance with this chapter, and may also, by regulation, revise the list of requested immunizations; provided, that the Mayor may not issue regulations that conflict with the requirements of § 38-502.01." The new text, if this bill passes, would read: The Mayor shall, by regulations, specify the immunization standards to be used for compliance with this chapter, and may also, by regulation, revise the list of requested immunizations.
(a) This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
(b) This act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect
NVIC supports this bill because NVIC has maintained that COVID-19 vaccines should have never been mandated. On January 25, 2023, NVIC even submitted a referenced public comment to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (FDA VRBPAC) calling for the withdrawal of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from the market. Link
https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B25-0378?FromSearchResults=true - text, status, and history of B25-0378
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