D.C. Act 24-322. Returning to School Safely Emergency Amendment Act of 2022.

AN ACT

To require, on an emergency basis, the notification of positive COVID-19 cases within 24 hours to families with a student in an affected classroom, that the notifications be provided via a parent or guardian's preferred contact method, District of Columbia Public Schools to report to the Council the schools that have not been assigned expanded staffing related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Office of the State Superintendent to post the percentage of randomized asymptomatic testing occurring in each school; and to amend the Protecting Our Children Temporary Amendment Act of 2021 to make conforming amendments.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Returning to School Safely Emergency Amendment Act of 2022".

Sec. 2. Classroom notification and COVID surge reporting requirements.

(a)(1) After a confirmed COVID-19 case of a student attending in-person learning or a school employee assigned to a classroom, a school shall send notice to all parents or guardians of students in the affected classroom and to all school personnel known to have spent at least one 15-minute period in the prior 3 days in the same classroom as the student or school employee. The notice shall disclose the fact of a positive test in the classroom and provide information on COVID-19 testing locations.

(2) The notice required pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be sent within 24 hours, or one business day if the case is confirmed on a day when schools are closed, of a confirmed COVID-19 case to school staff assigned to the affected classroom and to parents or guardians of students in the affected classroom electronically or through the preferred method of contact asserted by a student's parent or guardian, if one has been asserted.

(b)(1) Within 2 business days after the effective date of the Returning to School Safely Emergency Amendment Act of 2022, passed on emergency basis on January 18, 2022 (Enrolled version of Bill 24-611), and monthly thereafter, DCPS shall transmit to the Council and post on the DCPS website the names of schools that have not been assigned a COVID Strategy and Logistics Coordinator and the names of schools that have not been assigned a full-time substitute teacher as of that date.

(2) The Office of the State Superintendent shall post on its website every week the percentage of randomized asymptomatic testing completed in each school during the preceding week.

(c) For the purposes of this section, the term:

(1) "DCPS" means District of Columbia Public Schools.

(2) "School" means a school in the DCPS system or an individual public charter school.

Sec. 3. Title I of the Protecting Our Children Temporary Amendment Act of 2021, enacted December 13, 2021 (D.C. Act 24-241; 68 DCR 13501), is amended as follows:

(a) Section 104(b) is amended to read as follows:

"(b)(1) The notification required pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section may be electronic.

"(2) The notice required pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section shall be sent within 24 hours, or 1 business day if the case is confirmed on a day when schools are closed, of a confirmed COVID-19 case to school staff assigned to the affected classrooms and to parents or guardians of students in the affected classroom electronically or through the preferred method of contact asserted by a student's parent or guardian, if one has been asserted.".

(b) A new section 105a is added to read as follows:

"Sec. 105a. COVID surge reporting requirements.

"(a) Within 2 business days after the effective date of the Returning to School Safely Emergency Amendment Act of 2022, passed on emergency basis on January 18, 2022 (Enrolled version of Bill 24-611), and weekly thereafter, DCPS shall transmit to the Council the names of schools that have not been assigned a COVID Strategy & Logistics Coordinator and the names of schools that have not been assigned a full-time substitute teacher as of that date.

"(b) The Office of the State Superintendent shall post to its website every week the percentage of randomized asymptomatic testing completed in each school in the preceding week.".

Sec. 4. Applicability.

(a) Section 2 shall apply from January 24, 2022, through February 18, 2022.

(b) Section 3 shall apply as of February 18, 2022.

Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-307.47a).

Sec. 6. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section

412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).