District of Columbia legislation · 26th Council
District of Columbia B599: Emergency Medical Services Clarification Amendment Act of 2026
Status: In committee, November 2, 2026
As introduced, Bill 26-599 would explicitly codify that the Fire & EMS Medical Director is also the Medical Director of the Office of Unified Communications. It would also codify the training requirement that within one year of being hired, call takers and dispatchers be certified in Emergency Medical Dispatch. FISCAL NOTE - This bill is passed Subject to Appropriations. Please see the Fiscal Impact Statement for more information.
What the bill says
To amend An Act To classify the officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the Medical Director; and to amend the Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004 to add a certification requirement for call takers and dispatchers within the Office of Unified Communications.
From the introduced text, February 19, 2026:
To amend An Act To classify the officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the Medical Director; and to amend the Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004 to add a certification requirement for call takers and dispatchers within the Office of Unified Communications. BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Emergency Medical Services Clarification Amendment Act of 2026". Sec. 2. Section 3a(d) of An Act To classify the officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, effective April 15, 2008 (D.C. Law 17-147; D.C. Official Code § 5-404.01(d)), is amended to read as follows: "(d) The Medical Director shall: "(1) Provide medical oversight, supervision, and final decision-making for all clinical aspects of pre-hospital emergency medical services provided by the Department and the Office of Unified Communications ("the Office"), including: "(A) Written policies, procedures, and protocols, including dispatch protocols and response-plans, for communicating with members of the public and emergency medical services providers regarding pre-hospital medical care and other emergency services; "(B) Medical training; "(C) Reporting of performance metrics, including EMS dispatch performance metrics; "(D) Replacing, revising, or otherwise editing of the Office's …
Sponsors
- Brooke Pinto (D) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Committee Markup
- : Public Hearing
- : Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- : Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0599 Published in the DC Register
- : Introduced in Office of the Secretary
Subjects: Judiciary and Public Safety, Permanent Bill
Common questions
- What is B599?
- B599 is a bill in the District of Columbia Legislature (26th Council): Emergency Medical Services Clarification Amendment Act of 2026.
- What does B599 do?
- In its own words: To amend An Act To classify the officers and members of the fire department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the Medical Director; and to amend the Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004 to add a certification requirement for call takers and dispatchers within the Office of Unified Communications.
- What is the status of B599?
- In committee as of November 2, 2026. Latest action: Committee Markup (November 2, 2026).
- Who sponsored B599?
- Brooke Pinto (D).
- Where is the official record for B599?
- On the District of Columbia Legislature website: https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0599
Source: official District of Columbia record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.