District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0907 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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4	4	_______________________________. _______________________________ 4
5	5	Councilmember Trayon White, Sr Councilmember Vincent C. Gray 5
6	6	6
7	7	A BILL 7
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10	10	_____ 10
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13	13	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 13
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16	16	_____16
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18	18	18
19	19	To amend the Department of Health Functions Clarification Act of 2001 to establish a thymus 19
20	20	imaging study for the purpose of studying differing life expectancies between Southeast 20
21	21	and Northwest DC, and to create the first comprehensive data inventory for thymus gland 21
22	22	size and weight and epigenetic biological age at different ages, sexes, and racial and 22
23	23	socio-economic backgrounds. 23
24	24	24
25	25	BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 25
26	26	act may be cited as the “Pioneer Initiative for Thymus and Health Equity Amendment Act of 26
27	27	2024”. 27
28	28	Sec. 2. The Department of Health Functions Clarification Act of 2001, effective October 28
29	29	3, 2001 (D.C. Law 14-28; D.C. Official Code § 7-731 et seq.), is amended by adding new 29
30	30	sections 4961 through 4964 to read as follows: 30
31	31	“Sec. 4961. Thymus imaging study and establishment of consortium. 31
32	32	“(a)(1) The Department of Health shall establish a consortium. 32
33	33	“(2) The consortium shall consist of hospitals, schools, health organizations, and 33
34	34	their associated hospitals or health clinics, or hospitals and health clinics with which they have 34
35	35	partnerships, within Washington, DC. 35
36	36
37	37	2
38	38	“(3) Participating schools and hospitals must formally join the consortium to be 36
39	39	eligible to apply for funding under this title, through the Department of Health. To be eligible, 37
40	40	participating schools and hospitals must meet the following criteria: 38
41	41	“(A) They must be legally recognized entities with established operations 39
42	42	within Washington, DC; 40
43	43	“(B) They must demonstrate the capacity to collect, manage, and report 41
44	44	data from District residents, specifically for the purposes of the thymus imaging study as 42
45	45	described in section 4962; 43
46	46	“(C) They must have a track record of conducting health-related research 44
47	47	or clinical studies involving human participants; 45
48	48	“(D) They must possess the necessary infrastructure, personnel, and 46
49	49	expertise to effectively participate in the consortium’s activities, ensuring the integrity and 47
50	50	accuracy of the data collected; and 48
51	51	“(E) They must comply with all relevant local and federal laws and 49
52	52	regulations regarding the protection of human subjects and data privacy. 50
53	53	“(4) The consortium shall conduct a cross-sectional thymus imaging study, 51
54	54	described in section 4962, to assess the relationship between biological age and the thymus 52
55	55	gland’s weight, size, T-Cell output, and function. 53
56	56	“(5) The consortium shall also ensure that members collect data from at least 100 54
57	57	participants per subgroup. A subgroup is a group of participants who share the same sex, race, 55
58	58	age group, and standardized life-expectancy area. 56
59	59
60	60	3
61	61	“(6) Members of the consortium shall work together to agree on the best methods 57
62	62	for effectively and efficiently collecting the data for the study described in section 4962, 58
63	63	attracting and retaining study participants, and communicating budgetary and legislative needs. 59
64	64	“(b) The Department of Health shall be responsible for issuing grants to members of the 60
65	65	consortium to collect and report the data described in section 4962. 61
66	66	“(c) The structure of the consortium shall be as follows: 62
67	67	“(1) Governance: 63
68	68	“(A) the Consortium shall be governed by a Board of Directors, composed 64
69	69	of representatives from each member institution, including hospitals, schools, health 65
70	70	organizations, and associated health clinics within Washington DC. 66
71	71	“(B) The Board shall include one representative appointed by the Mayor, 67
72	72	one representative appointed by the Council, and one representative from the Department of 68
73	73	Health. 69
74	74	“(C) The board shall elect a Chairperson from among its members to serve 70
75	75	a term of two years. 71
76	76	“(2) Executive Committee: 72
77	77	“(A) An Executive Committee, elected by the Board of Directors, shall be 73
78	78	responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the consortium. 74
79	79	“(B) The Executive Committee shall include a President, Vice President, 75
80	80	Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall each serve two-year terms. 76
81	81	“(3) Advisory Panels: 77
82	82
83	83	4
84	84	“(A) The consortium shall establish advisory panels as needed, consisting 78
85	85	of experts in relevant fields, to provide guidance on research methods, data collection, and other 79
86	86	technical aspects of the consortium’s activities. 80
87	87	“(B) Members of the Advisory Panels shall be appointed by the Executive 81
88	88	Committee and shall serve in an advisory capacity without voting rights on the Board of 82
89	89	Directors. 83
90	90	“(4) Membership: 84
91	91	“(A) Membership in the consortium shall be open to any legally 85
92	92	recognized school or hospital within Washington, DC. that meets eligibility criteria outlined in 86
93	93	subsection (a)(3). 87
94	94	“(B) Member institutions must enter into a formal agreement with the 88
95	95	Department of Health, committing to the consortium’s goals and adhering to its bylaws. 89
96	96	“(5) Funding: 90
97	97	“(A) The Consortium shall be funded through grants issued by the 91
98	98	Department of Health, as well as other federal, state, and private funding sources. 92
99	99	“(B) The Board of Directors shall oversee the allocation and management 93
100	100	of funds, ensuring that resources are used efficiently and to achieve the consortium’s objectives. 94
101	101	“(6) Transparency and Reporting: 95
102	102	“(A) The consortium shall maintain transparency in its operation, 96
103	103	including regular public reporting of its activities, fundings, and financial statements. 97
104	104	“(B) An annual report detailing the consortium’s progress, financial status, 98
105	105	and future plans shall be submitted to the Department of Health, the Council, and the Mayor. 99
106	106
107	107	5
108	108	“(7) Compliance and Accountability: 100
109	109	“(A) The consortium and its members shall comply with all applicable 101
110	110	local and federal law and regulations, including those pertaining to research ethics, data 102
111	111	protection, and antitrust laws. 103
112	112	“(B) The Board of Directors shall establish mechanisms for accountability, 104
113	113	including regular audits and reviews of the consortium’s activities and finances. 105
114	114	“Sec. 4962. Thymus imaging study criteria and methodology. 106
115	115	“(a) The cross-sectional thymus imaging study shall include: 107
116	116	“(1) Cisgender men and women; 108
117	117	“(2) Individuals in the following age categories: ≤29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 109
118	118	or ≥70 years; 110
119	119	“(3) The following racial and ethnic categories: 111
120	120	“(A) Non-Hispanic Black; 112
121	121	“(B) White; and 113
122	122	“(C) Hispanic/Latino; and 114
123	123	“(4) Natural born residents from one of 5 standardized life-expectancy areas, 115
124	124	ranging from the highest to the lowest measured life-expectancy zip codes in the District. 116
125	125	“(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the thymus imaging study shall 117
126	126	exclude individuals who: 118
127	127	“(1) Are currently on HRT or hormone blockers; 119
128	128	“(2) Have an HIV infection; 120
129	129	“(4) Chronically use or are currently using glucocorticoid therapy; 121
130	130
131	131	6
132	132	“(5) Are pregnant; 122
133	133	“(6) Are currently experiencing a substance use disorder; 123
134	134	“(7) Are not natural born citizens of the United States; 124
135	135	“(8) Are unwilling or unable to give voluntary informed consent, unless they are 125
136	136	18 or younger and the consent of their parent or guardian is able to be obtained; 126
137	137	“(9) Have uncorrected hypothyroidism; 127
138	138	“(10) Have Type 1 Diabetes; 128
139	139	“(11) Have used Growth Hormone in the last 5 years; 129
140	140	“(12) Have a known growth hormone deficiency based on stimulation testing; 130
141	141	“(12) Are currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment; and 131
142	142	“(13) Have been diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, 132
143	143	chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome, Down Syndrome, Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria 133
144	144	Syndrome, or any other chromosomal deletion or duplication related, or diagnosed genetic 134
145	145	disorder which is known to affect the thymus or the process of aging. 135
146	146	“(c) The thymus imaging study shall collect the following data for each participant: 136
147	147	“(1) Detailed Thoracic MRI assessments of the Thymus to determine weight, size, 137
148	148	and fat percentage; 138
149	149	“(2) Complete blood count; 139
150	150	“(3) Complete endocrine panel; 140
151	151	“(4) Comprehensive metabolic panel; 141
152	152	“(5) Body mass index measurements; 142
153	153	“(6) Waist circumference; 143
154	154
155	155	7
156	156	“(10) Telomere length measurement. 144
157	157	“(11) T-Cell receptor excision circle (“TREC”) analysis; 145
158	158	“(12) Lymphocyte phenotypes panel; 146
159	159	“(13) Epigenetic biological age; and 147
160	160	“(14) Information contained in a questionnaire, which may be answered by the 148
161	161	participant, their guardian, or by a medical professional on behalf of the participant, that shall 149
162	162	include at least the following questions: 150
163	163	“(A) Personal Information: 151
164	164	“(i) Age 152
165	165	“(ii) Sex 153
166	166	“(iii) Race/Ethnicity 154
167	167	“(iv) Height 155
168	168	“(v) Weight 156
169	169	“(vi) Socioeconomic Background 157
170	170	“(vii) Educational Level 158
171	171	“(viii) Employment Status 159
172	172	“(viiii) Household Income 160
173	173	“(ix) Zip Code 161
174	174	“(x) Zip Code of the hospital or place where you were born 162
175	175	“(B) Health History: 163
176	176	“(i) Have you ever been diagnosed with any chronic diseases? If 164
177	177	so, please list them. 165
178	178
179	179	8
180	180	“(ii) Have you ever had a thymectomy? If so: 166
181	181	“(I) At what age? 167
182	182	“(II) What was the reason for the thymectomy? 168
183	183	“(iii) Do you have a history of autoimmune diseases? If so, please 169
184	184	list them. 170
185	185	“(iv) Have you been diagnosed with any form of cancer? If so: 171
186	186	“(I) At what age(s) were you diagnosed? 172
187	187	“(II) What was your diagnosis? 173
188	188	“(III) What is your current remission and Minimal Residual 174
189	189	Disease status? 175
190	190	“(v) Do you have a history of infection, particularly viral infections 176
191	191	(e.g., HIV, hepatitis, etc.)? If so: 177
192	192	“(I) At what age(s)? 178
193	193	“(II) What was your diagnosis? 179
194	194	“(vi) Have you undergone chemotherapy or radiation therapy? If 180
195	195	so: 181
196	196	“(I) At what age(s)? 182
197	197	“(II) If possible, please list them and the reason for their 183
198	198	use. 184
199	199	“(vii) Do you have a history of hormone replacement therapy or 185
200	200	glucocorticoid therapy? If so: 186
201	201	“(I) At what age(s)? 187
202	202
203	203	9
204	204	“(II) If possible, please list them and the reason(s) for their 188
205	205	use. 189
206	206	“(viii) Do you have any known genetic disorders? If so, please list 190
207	207	them. 191
208	208	“(viiii) Are you currently on birth control? If so: 192
209	209	“(I) At what age(s)? 193
210	210	“(II) If possible, please list them and the reason(s) for their 194
211	211	use. 195
212	212	“(C) Current Health Status: 196
213	213	“(i) Are you currently taking any medications? If so, please list 197
214	214	them. 198
215	215	“(ii) Do you currently have any health conditions? If so, please list 199
216	216	them. 200
217	217	“(iii) Do you have any known allergies? If so, please list them. 201
218	218	“(iv) Have you experienced any recent infections or illnesses? If 202
219	219	so, please list them. 203
220	220	“(D) Lifestyle and Habits: 204
221	221	“(i) Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes per day and for 205
222	222	how many years? 206
223	223	“(ii) Do you consume alcohol? If so, how often and how much? 207
224	224	“(iii) Do you use recreational drugs? If so, which ones and how 208
225	225	often? 209
226	226
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228	228	“(iv) Describe your typical diet (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, 210
229	229	omnivorous, high fat, high sugar). 211
230	230	“(v) How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you consume 212
231	231	per day? 213
232	232	“(vii) How often do you consume processed foods? 214
233	233	“viii7) On average, how many meals do you eat per day? 215
234	234	“(viiii) Do you have any dietary restrictions or special diets (e.g., 216
235	235	gluten-free, ketogenic)? 217
236	236	“(E) Physical Activity: 218
237	237	“(i) How often do you exercise? 219
238	238	“(ii) What types of exercise do you engage in (e.g., aerobic, 220
239	239	strength training, flexibility exercises)? 221
240	240	“(iii) On average, how many hours per week do you spend 222
241	241	exercising? 223
242	242	“(iv) Do you have any physical limitations or disabilities that affect 224
243	243	your ability to exercise? 225
244	244	“(F) Mental Health: 226
245	245	“(i) Have you ever been diagnosed with any mental health 227
246	246	conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder)? If so, please list them. 228
247	247	“(ii) Are you currently receiving treatment for any mental health 229
248	248	conditions? If so, please list them. 230
249	249	“(iii) Do you experience high levels of stress? 231
250	250
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252	252	“(iv) How do you typically manage stress (e.g., exercise, 232
253	253	meditation, therapy)? 233
254	254	“(G) Sleep Patterns: 234
255	255	“(i) On average, how many hours of sleep do you get a night? 235
256	256	“(ii) Do you have any sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia, sleep 236
257	257	apnea)? If so, please list them. 237
258	258	“(iii) Do you feel rested when you wake up? 238
259	259	“(H) Obesity-Related Factors 239
260	260	“(i) Have you ever been diagnosed with obesity or overweight? 240
261	261	“(ii) Have you ever received treatment for obesity (e.g., bariatric 241
262	262	surgery, weight loss programs)? 242
263	263	“(iii) Do you have a history of metabolic syndrome? 243
264	264	“(I) Family Medical History: 244
265	265	“(i) Is there a family history of chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, 245
266	266	diabetes, cancer)? If so, please provide a list of each member, their familial 246
267	267	relation to yourself, and their respective diagnosis. 247
268	268	“(ii) Is there a family history of autoimmune diseases? If so, please 248
269	269	provide a list of each member, their familial relation to yourself, and their 249
270	270	respective diagnosis. 250
271	271	“(iii) Is there a family history of obesity? If so, please provide a list 251
272	272	of each member, their familial relation to yourself, and whether you have ever co-252
273	273	habited with them. 253
274	274
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276	276	“(J) Health Behaviors: 254
277	277	“(i) How often do you visit a healthcare provider for check-ups or 255
278	278	preventive care? 256
279	279	“(ii) Do you participate in any regular health screenings (e.g., 257
280	280	mammograms, colonoscopies)? 258
281	281	“(iii) Have you been vaccinated according to the recommended 259
282	282	schedule? If not, why? 260
283	283	“(K) Additional Information: 261
284	284	“(i) Is there anything else you believe is relevant to your health or 262
285	285	lifestyle that we should know? 263
286	286	“(d) The consortium may make any changes deemed necessary to the Questionnaire, if it 264
287	287	is in the interest of the study. 265
288	288	“(e) The consortium may expand the scope of testing, if it is in the interest of the study. 266
289	289	“(f) The consortium may alter subsection (a)(4) to lower the number of life expectancy 267
290	290	areas, if it is in the interest of the study. 268
291	291	“Sec. 4963. Data anonymization and public access. 269
292	292	“(a) All data collected from the study shall be anonymized to protect the privacy of 270
293	293	participants. 271
294	294	“(b) The anonymized data shall be made publicly accessible in a manner that allows 272
295	295	researchers, policymakers, and laymen to analyze the findings. Additionally, the public should 273
296	296	also be able to access the anonymized raw results of the study to perform their own statistical 274
297	297	analyses. 275
298	298
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300	300	“(c) The Department of Health and the consortium shall establish protocols to ensure the 276
301	301	secure storage and dissemination of the anonymized data. 277
302	302	“Sec. 4964. Reporting requirements. 278
303	303	“(a) The consortium shall submit annual reports to the Council and the Department of 279
304	304	Health detailing the progress and preliminary findings of the study, and financial expenditures. 280
305	305	“(b) A final comprehensive report shall be submitted at the conclusion of the cross-281
306	306	sectional study, summarizing all findings and providing recommendations for future research and 282
307	307	policy initiatives. 283
308	308	Sec. 3. Fiscal Impact Statement. 284
309	309	The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement as the fiscal impact statement in the 285
310	310	committee report as required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 286
311	311	approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 287
312	312	Sec. 4. Effective Date. 288
313	313	This act shall take effect upon its approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 289
314	314	Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review 290
315	315	as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 291
316	316	24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 292