District of Columbia Code
Chapter 5 - Immunization of School Students
§ 38–502.01. Certification of COVID-19 immunization

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on February 20, 2023. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation affecting this section, click this link: Permanent Version.*
(a)(1) Beginning March 1, 2022, and every school year thereafter, a responsible person for a student shall be required to submit to the school to which the student is admitted or is seeking admission:
(A) A certification of COVID-19 immunization for the student; or
(B) The documentation required pursuant to § 38-506 demonstrating that the student is exempt from COVID-19 immunization.
(2) No student shall be admitted by a school unless the school has certification of COVID-19 immunization for that student or the student is exempted pursuant to § 38-506; provided, that this paragraph shall not be enforced until the start of School Year 2023-2024.
(3) Sections 38-504 and 38-505 shall apply to a student for whom a school does not have a certification of COVID-19 immunization; provided, that § 38-505 shall not be enforced with respect to certification of COVID-19 immunization until the start of School Year 2023-2024.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, if a student has not attained an age for which a COVID-19 vaccine is available, a responsible person for the student shall have 70 days from the date the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to the student, either by action of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the occurrence of the student's birthday, to submit certification of COVID-19 immunization.
(c) Electronic submission of a student's certification of COVID-19 immunization by a healthcare professional authorized to administer a vaccine or a public health authority in accordance with § 38-502(b) shall satisfy the requirement, in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, that a responsible person for the student submit the certification.
(d) For the purposes of this section the term:
(1) "Certification of COVID-19 immunization" means written certification by a healthcare professional authorized to administer a vaccine, his or her representative, or the public health authorities that the student has received COVID-19 immunization, which may include a copy of the student's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card reflecting COVID-19 immunization.
(2) "COVID-19 immunization" means initial immunization and any boosters or reimmunization required to maintain immunization against COVID-19, in accordance with the immunization standards issued by the public health authorities pursuant to this chapter.
(3) "COVID-19 vaccine" means a vaccine against COVID-19 for which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval as opposed to emergency use authorization.
(4) "School" means:
(A) A District of Columbia Public Schools school;
(B) A public charter school; or
(C) An independent, private, or parochial school serving any grades pre-K through 12.
(5) "Student" means an individual who is 3 years of age or older who seeks admission to a school or for whom admission is sought by a responsible person.
(Sept. 28, 1979, D.C. Law 3-20, § 3a; as added Mar. 2, 2022, D.C. Law 24-85, § 2(c), 69 DCR 000440; Nov. 22, 2022, D.C. Act 24-669, § 2, 0 DCR 0.)
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of Coronavirus Immunization of School Students Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-669, Nov. 22, 2022, 0 DCR 0).
For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 2(c) of Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Regulation Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-280, Jan. 12, 2022, 69 DCR 000425).