Bill

Bill > B26-0025


DC B26-0025

DC B26-0025
Certificate of Need Improvement Amendment Act of 2025


summary

Introduced
01/06/2025
In Committee
02/12/2025
Crossed Over
03/04/2025
Passed
06/20/2025
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
06/20/2025

Introduced Session

26th Council

Bill Summary

AN ACT IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA To amend the Health Services Planning Program Re-establishment Act of 1996 to exempt from the certificate of need process digital-only telehealth platforms and providers, federally qualified health centers, outpatient or residential behavioral health services, and primary care, dental care, and specialty care providers, to define group practice and nonpatient care project, to remove the 3 year maximum on certificate of need applications for active projects, to increase the capital expenditure thresholds, and to require the State Health Planning and Development Agency to update the capital expenditure and medical equipment spending thresholds every 2 years, to increase the number of beds that must be added or removed at a health care facility in order to trigger a certificate of need; to amend the Health-Care and Community Residence Facility Hospice and Home Care Licensure Act of 1983 to require the Department of Health to create a registration process for entities offering primary, dental, and specialty care, virtual provider networks, virtual telehealth platforms, and federally qualified health centers, and to require the Department of Health to post information about certificate of need applications for the previous 3 years on its website; to amend the District of Columbia Health Occupations Revision Act of 1985 to rename the Board of Integrative Healthcare to the Board of Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Naturopathic Physicians, to decrease the size of the Board of Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Naturopathic Physicians from 9 to 7 members, to create a pathway for graduate social workers to become licensed without passing an examination, and to clarify that cottage food businesses can sell products wholesale; and to make other technical amendments.

AI Summary

This bill modifies several health care regulations in the District of Columbia, focusing on the Certificate of Need (CON) process and health care facility licensing. The bill exempts several types of health care providers from the CON process, including digital-only telehealth platforms, federally qualified health centers, behavioral health services, and primary, dental, and specialty care providers. It increases capital expenditure thresholds from $6 million to $15 million and requires the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) to update these thresholds every two years using the Producer Price Index. The bill defines new terms like "group practice" and "virtual telehealth platform" and removes the three-year maximum on CON applications. Additionally, it creates a simplified registration process for certain health care entities, reduces the Board of Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Naturopathic Physicians from nine to seven members, and establishes a pathway for graduate social workers to become licensed without taking an examination. The bill also clarifies that cottage food businesses can sell products wholesale and makes several technical amendments to existing health care regulations. These changes aim to streamline health care provider regulations, reduce administrative burdens, and adapt to evolving healthcare delivery methods, particularly in telehealth and digital health services.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (5)

Last Action

Law L26-0007, Effective from Jun 10, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 006762 (on 06/20/2025)

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