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This week, the Council is humming along as we approach recess summer recess.
On Monday, June 26th, the Committee on Executive Administration held a roundtable on the Board of Elections. The difference between a hearing and a roundtable is specific to the legislative cycle; multiple hearings are required by law to advance most legislation measures, while a roundtable is principally held to obtain information and insight on a subject of interest to the Committee or Member, and is not necessary (although sometimes helpful) to advance legislation.
On Tuesday June 27th, the Committee on the Judiciary held the first of many important hearings on the Mayor’s proposed public safety measure, the Safer Stronger Amendment Act of 2023. Over one hundred witnesses testified, including representatives from the Office of the Attorney General, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Office of the Public Defender and Children’s Law Center, as well as the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Lindsey Appiah. Private citizens, business associations, and representatives from various legal offices and non-profit entities also testified in support of and against specific provisions included in the bill. Two of the most significant issues to be decided is how the District should address youth who commit crimes, and the factors under which a person considered a “youth” offender should be eligible for early release after conviction.
On Wednesday, June 28th, the Committee on Health and the Committee on Hospital & Health Equity held a joint roundtable on the opioid and fentanyl crisis in DC. Witnesses discussed various issues related to the care and treatment of District residents, best practices from other jurisdictions, and licensing issues faced by providers.
On Thursday, June 29th, the Committee on housing held hearings concerning rent stabilization and the rent supplement program.
On Friday, June 30th, the Committee of the Whole will hold roundtables on the confirmation of a new Director for the Board of Zoning and several new commissioners for the Commission on Arts and Humanities; the Committee on Health will also hold a hearing on a measure to regulate prior authorization policies in the District. Prior authorizations refer to an aspect of the relationship between a health care provider and a healthcare insurance company—rules drafted by the insurance company requiring the provider to obtain prior authorization before providing treatment (if they wish to be compensated) are called prior authorizations policies. At issue is the degree to which purely economic-based decisions made by the insurance company, such as the cost of a service, should be allowed to impact the timely delivery of health services.
These are not all of the hearings for the week of June 26 through June 30. The Council’s calendar is available here, and the public can view both live and archived hearings here.
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Press Release
