Executive Administration & Labor Public Hearing

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE ON EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION AND LABOR NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 AT-LARGE COUNCILMEMBER ANITA BONDS, CHAIRPERSON COMMITTEE ON EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION AND LABOR ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC HEARING on the matter of B25-0615 – Wellness and Health Optimize Lively Existence (WHOLE) Amendment Act of 2023 and B25-0782 – Work Models Task Force Amendment Act of 2024 on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 10:30 AM Hybrid in John A. Wilson Building Room 500, and via Zoom https://dccouncil-us.zoom.us/j/81703585818?pwd=z- W376ipQ__EJtjN9GTkwDpSDJApqw.WakoTor_niryH669 On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, Councilmember Anita Bonds will hold a public hearing to discuss B25-0615, the “Wellness and Health Optimize Lively Existence (WHOLE) Amendment Act of 2023” and B25-0782, the “Work Models Task Force Amendment Act of 2024”. The Wellness and Health Optimize Lively Existence (WHOLE) Amendment Act of 2023 requires the Mayor to provide mental health access to all District government employees and creates a reporting requirement for the Mayor and Council to assess any changes in mental health trends or demands for mental health services. This will allow us to utilize a data-driven approach in our evaluations, including during the annual budget allocation process. To ensure the District government is a safe and healthy workplace that supports and maintains its employees, we need to adopt a comprehensive approach that incorporates mental wellness into the current statute that only speaks to physical wellness. This will encourage our District government employees to be a “WHOLE” healthy person in mind, body, and spirit. The Work Models Task Force Amendment Act of 2024 creates a Work Models Task Force that evaluates competitive work models for District government employees. To navigate through this post-pandemic life and set “new norms”, this legislation aims to open the conversation with experts and entertain feedback from employees and managers, labor unions of government and private sector workforce, and various customers – all impacted parties, to identify reliable approaches forward for an effective work environment for the good of the District through a healthy, productive, and competitive work force. As such, establishing a Task Force will facilitate the necessary conversations to move the DC government towards a productive and effective workplace policy, backed by experience and data. Those who wish to testify must register using the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 20, 2024. Persons may also register by emailing the Committee at ceal@dccouncil.gov or by telephoning the Committee at (202) 724-8198 at least two business days before the hearing and provide their name, address, telephone number, email address, organizational affiliation and title, if any. Oral testimony will be limited to 5 minutes for those testifying on behalf of an organization and 3 minutes for those testifying on behalf of themselves. Witnesses who anticipate needing language interpretation or require sign language interpretation are encouraged to inform the Committee of the need as soon as possible but no later than five business days before the proceeding by emailing ceal@dccouncil.gov. We will make every effort to fulfill timely requests, although requests received in less than five business days may not be fulfilled. Each witness will receive an individual Zoom invitation for the hearing in a separate e-mail. All witnesses should submit an electronic version of their testimony using the Hearing Management System (https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings) or by emailing it to ceal@dccouncil.gov. Testimony will be publicly accessible upon Committee review. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Aimellia Siemson, Senior Advisor and Counsel, (202) 724-8171 or asiemson@dccouncil.gov. If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Statements for the record should be submitted through the Hearing Management System or left by voicemail by calling (202) 430-6948 (up to 3 minutes which will be transcribed). The record will close at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The hearing can be viewed on www.dccouncil.gov or www.entertainment.dc.gov, and on the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@EALCommittee/streams).