Title 7 — Human Health Care and Safety.

A person aggrieved by a final decision of the Mayor may appeal the decision to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals pursuant to § 2-510.

(a) Any person who violates any provision of this subchapter shall, upon conviction, be subject to imprisonment not to exceed 6 months or a fine not to exceed $300, or both. Each unlawful act shall constitute a separate violation of this subchapter. (b) Any person who has been pr…

(a) Prosecutions of violations of this subchapter shall be brought by the Corporation Counsel in the name of the District of Columbia. (b) In prosecutions initiated pursuant to this subchapter, a child development facility claiming an exemption from a licensing requirement of thi…

(a) The Corporation Counsel may bring an action in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in the name of the District of Columbia to enjoin any violation of this subchapter. (b) Remedies established by this section shall be in addition to criminal sanctions, civil sanctio…

The Child Development Facilities Regulation shall remain in effect until superseded by rules issued by the Mayor. Upon the effective date of rules promulgated pursuant to this subchapter, the Child Development Facilities Regulation shall be deemed repealed.

(a) No judicial or administrative proceeding commenced by or against any child development facility, or officer or employee of a child development facility in his or her official capacity, shall abate by reason of the taking effect of this subchapter; but the action or proceeding…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Accessible” means providing: (A) The program’s written materials in Spanish and English, and in other languages when required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, approved July 2, 1964 (78 Stat. 252; 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et se…

(a) The Department shall establish the Health Care Ombudsman Program by contracting with a qualified private, community-based, nonprofit corporation, organization, or consortia of organizations, with offices located in the District, to operate the program. If the Department is un…

(a) The Department shall develop criteria to be used in evaluating the performance of the Ombudsman Program. (b)(1) The Department shall obtain, biannually, an independent evaluation of the Ombudsman Program through an academic group or other independent, private-sector organizat…

The Ombudsman Program shall provide the following accessible services: (1) Assist consumers in resolving problems concerning health care bills, health coverage, and access to health care by referring consumers to appropriate regulatory agencies when their problems are within an a…

The Ombudsman Program shall implement innovative strategies and tools to maximize its outreach to consumers, including provision of the following accessible information sources and services: (1) A toll-free 1-800 telephone number that operates in the District metropolitan area; (…

The Health Care Ombudsman shall submit annually to the Council, the Mayor, the Department of Health, and the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking a report on the activities, performance, and fiscal accounts of the Ombudsman Program, issues of concern to consumers, and…

(a) The Health Care Ombudsman may review the records of a health benefits plan, the HealthCare Alliance, or other provider, pertaining to a consumer or the consumer’s medical records if the consumer or the consumer’s legal representative has provided written consent. The confiden…

No employee, subcontractor, designee, or representative of the Ombudsman Program shall be held liable for the good faith performance of responsibilities under this chapter, except that no immunity shall extend to criminal acts, or acts that violate District or federal law.

A health benefits plan or the HealthCare Alliance shall not take retaliatory action of any sort against a member who seeks assistance from the Ombudsman Program or against a provider who furnishes information to the Ombudsman Program pursuant to a consumer’s request.

(a) Health benefits plans and the HealthCare Alliance shall: (1) Include in their marketing and membership materials information regarding the availability of the Ombudsman Program; (2) Send annually to their members notification of the availability of the Ombudsman Program; and …

(a) The Ombudsman shall establish an Advisory Council to consist of members representing: (1) Consumers; (2) Consumer advocacy organizations; (3) Health benefits plans; (4) Health care facilities; (5) Physicians; (6) The Health Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program or any s…

(a) Funding sources for the Ombudsman Program shall include: (1) District local appropriations; and (2) Medicaid federal matching funds. (b) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a corporation, organization, or consortia of organizations selected to operate the Health Care Ombud…

Repealed Repealed.

For the purpose of this chapter, the term: (1) “Antimicrobial drug” means a drug identified in the most current guidelines for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2) “DOH” means the Department of Health. …

(a)(1) A health care practitioner who diagnoses a chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis infection in a patient may prescribe and dispense antimicrobial drugs to the patient’s sexual partner for treatment of that STI without an examination of the sexual partner. (2) The Director …

(a) A health care practitioner or a pharmacist who reasonably and in good faith renders EPT in accordance with this chapter or any other District law shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or be deemed to have engaged in improper professional conduct. (b) This subsec…

Within 60 days of April 30, 2014, the Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§ 2-501 et seq.], shall issue rules to implement the provisions of this chapter. The proposed rules shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of review, excluding Saturdays,…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Child” means any individual who is: (A) Under 18 years of age; (B) 18 to 20 years of age and subject to a consent decree or dispositional order entered pursuant to Chapter 23 of Title 16; or (C) 18 to 21 years of age and has an ind…

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, it shall be unlawful to operate a facility in the District, whether public or private, for profit or not for profit, without being licensed by the Mayor. Each facility shall be licensed by both its type and the le…

(a) The Mayor shall, no later than 12 months after August 13, 1986, and pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, issue all rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. These rules may categorize and define the various types of facilities, may establish lice…

(a) Each facility except a foster home shall have a governing board or local advisory committee that includes 1 or more representatives of the neighborhood where the facility is located. If a licensee operates more than 1 facility in the District, a single governing board or advi…

(a)(1) To ensure that each new facility will be in compliance with this chapter, the rules issued pursuant to this chapter, and all other applicable laws, the Mayor shall conduct an on-site inspection before a facility’s initial licensure. Instead of issuing a full-year license t…

(a)(1) The Mayor and the Board of Education shall ensure that every resident receiving therapeutic care has an up-to-date, individualized treatment plan (“ITP”) composed of coordinated therapeutic, educational, and residential components. Each ITP shall be jointly formulated and …

(a) As an alternative to denial, nonrenewal, suspension, or revocation of a license, whenever a facility has numerous deficiencies or a serious single deficiency with respect to the standards established under § 7-2103(a)(2) through (4), the Mayor may: (1) Issue a provisional lic…

(a)(1) The Mayor may, before holding a hearing, suspend the license of a facility or convert its license to a provisional or restricted license if he or she determines that existing deficiencies constitute an immediate or serious and continuing danger to the health, safety, or we…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Emergency contraception” means a drug or drug regimen approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy when administered after sexual contact, including oral contraceptive pills. (2) “Hospital” means a facilit…

(a) The Department of Health, in collaboration with the Board of Medicine and the Board of Pharmacy, shall develop medically and factually accurate written information regarding prophylactic antibiotics for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and emergency contraceptio…

(a) All hospitals that provide emergency care to victims of sexual assault shall: (1) Provide each victim of sexual assault written information developed pursuant to § 7-2122; (2) Provide each victim of sexual assault an oral explanation of the written information distributed pur…

Hospitals shall have written policies and procedures to ensure that all personnel who provide care or information to a victim of sexual assault: (1) Are trained to provide medically and factually accurate and objective information about prophylactic antibiotics for the treatment …

The Department of Health shall determine compliance with the requirements of this chapter. The failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter may result in a civil fine to be determined by the Mayor.

Because of the existing possibility of the occurrence of disaster of unprecedented destructiveness resulting from enemy attack, sabotage, or other hostile action, it is the intent of Congress that plans and programs to provide necessary protection, relief, and assistance for pers…

(a) To carry out the purposes of this chapter, the Mayor of the District of Columbia is authorized to establish in the municipal government of such District a Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency to consist of a Director and such other personnel as may be needed. Suc…

The Mayor of the District of Columbia is authorized to appoint a member of the Metropolitan Police Department or a member of the Fire Department of the District of Columbia to any position in the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, with the salary provided by law f…

As used in § 7-2203, the terms “Metropolitan Police Department” and “Fire Department” shall include, respectively, offices or agencies succeeding to the functions of such departments pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 5 of 1952.

The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency is authorized and directed, subject to the direction and control of the Mayor of the District: (1) To prepare a comprehensive plan and program for civil defense, such plan and program to be integrated into and coordinated with…

Neither the District of Columbia nor any volunteer agency in the service of said District nor, except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence, any officer, agent, or employee of the District of Columbia or volunteer agency, or any regularly appointed volunteer worker, …

Appropriations for carrying out the purposes of this chapter are hereby authorized.

The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, through the Mayor of the District of Columbia, shall submit to the Senate and House of Representatives on the 1st day of each regular session of the Congress a report of its activities and expenditures under this chapter.

(a) The Mayor of the District of Columbia is authorized to enter into and execute on behalf of the District of Columbia interstate civil defense compacts with the states, substantially in the form set forth in this subsection. The form of compact set forth in this subsection may …

The Council finds that: (1) The District of Columbia has been designated a high-threat target city by the United States Department of Homeland Security, and needs commensurate capabilities for preventing, mitigating, and responding to terrorist attacks. These capabilities include…

For the purposes of this part, the term: (a)(1) “Agency” means the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. (2) “Director” means the Director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. (3) “Program” means the Homeland Security Program created by § 7-2231.…

(a) The Director shall develop a Homeland Security Program to identify and mitigate threats, risks, and vulnerabilities within the District of Columbia. The program shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Identifying public infrastructure and other public assets in the District…

(a) The Mayor shall: (1) Disseminate homeland security information to the public and engage residents in homeland security emergency planning; (2) Solicit resident input in vulnerability assessment and planning activities; and (3) Offer periodic training opportunities to members …

(a) The Director, in consultation with other District of Columbia agencies, law enforcement, security, and terrorism experts, and representatives of public employees, shall develop and issue guidelines for a public employee security training program to meet requirements establish…