COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER BROOKE PINTO
THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSLYVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
January 15, 2021
Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Smith,
Today, along with Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Christina Henderson, Brianne K. Nadeau, Mary
M. Cheh, Janeese Lewis George, and Vincent C. Gray, I am introducing the HIV In-home Test Tax
Exemption Amendment Act of 2021. Please find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation.
This legislation would exempt sales of HIV in-home tests from taxation.
Eight years ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new HIV in-home test that for the
first time made it possible for Americans to learn in the privacy of their homes whether they
carried the HIV virus. The availability of an HIV test as easy to use as a home-pregnancy kit was
yet another step in the normalization of a disease that was once seen as a mark of shame and a
death sentence. However, with the availability of antiretroviral drugs for many years, knowledge
of ones HIV status and the beginning of an antiretroviral regime has dramatically lowered the
chance that an individual will transmit the virus to someone else or become ill with AIDS. HIV
testing and treatment have become crucial to HIV prevention and public health.
HIV in-home tests cost about $40, a significant amount of money for many District residents. By
exempting HIV in-home test from taxes, this bill will help make HIV in-home tests more accessible
to District residents. By doing so, we will help prevent the spread of HIV.
Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative Director,
Barry Weise, at bweise@dccouncil.us.
Thank you,
Brooke Pinto
 _______________________________ _______________________________
Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Brooke Pinto
_______________________________ _______________________________
Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Christina Henderson
_______________________________ _______________________________
Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Mary M. Cheh
_______________________________ _______________________________
Councilmember Councilmember Vincent C. Gray
1 A BILL
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6 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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10 To amend section 47-2005 of the District of Columbia Official Code to exempt sales of HIV
11 in-home tests from taxation.
12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
13 act may be cited as the HIV In-home Test Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2021.
14 Sec. 2. Section 47-2005 of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended by adding
15 a new paragraph (41) to read as follows:
16 (41) Sales of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in-home tests..
17 Sec. 3. Applicability.
18 (a) Section 3 of this act shall take effect subject to the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an
19 approved budget and financial plan.
20 (b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in
21 an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council
22 of the certification.
23 (c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in
24 the District of Columbia Register.
25 (2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the
26 applicability of this act.
27 Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.
28 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
29 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,
30 approved October 16, 2006 (12 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code 1-301.47a).
31 Sec. 5. Effective date.
32 Sec. 2. This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto
33 by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional
34 review as provided in section 602(c)(l) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved
35 December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code l-206.02(c)(l)), and publication in the
36 District of Columbia Register.
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