Testimony: School Health Certificate Modernization Amendment Act of 2026
Behavioral Health Policy Analyst Chris Gamble testified before the DC Council’s Committee on Health regarding the School Health Certificate Modernization Amendment Act of 2026, specifically addressing provisions that would establish a tiered fee structure for health professional licenses. While we support the bill’s intent to streamline licensure fees and bring them into closer accord with neighboring states, we have clarifying questions about how the tiered structure would function, as well as recommendations for meaningful licensure reform that can expand the workforce.
One of Children’s Law Center’s longstanding policy recommendations, included in A Path Forward, is to implement strategies and incentives to create an adequate labor pool of diverse behavioral health professionals for children. Our testimony on this bill emphasizes that reducing and simplifying licensure fees are only a small part of what the District needs to incentivize workforce entry and growth.
A Path Forward for DC’s Public Behavioral Health System
A Path Forward: Transforming the Public Behavioral Health System for Children, Youth, and their Families in the District of Columbia, is a blueprint for creating a successful public behavioral health system — one that supports children and families and, in doing so, strengthens the entire community.