1. (a) The provisions of this chapter prohibiting the practice of a health occupation without a District of Columbia license, registration, or certification shall not apply:

   1. (1) To an individual who administers treatment or provides advice in any case of emergency;
   2. (2) To an individual employed by the federal government, while he or she is acting in the official discharge of the duties of employment in the District;
   3. (2A) To an individual engaged in the practice of pharmaceutical detailing for less than 30 consecutive days per calendar year;

   4. (3) To an individual, licensed, registered, or certified to practice a health occupation in a state, who is providing care to an individual, an animal, or a group ("client or patient") for a limited period of time, if:

      1. (A) The individual has been providing care to the client or patient located in a state and is accompanying the client or patient to the District for a visit not exceeding 30 days;
      2. (B) The individual is called from a state in professional consultation by or on behalf of a client or patient to visit, examine, treat, or provide advice regarding the specific client or patient in the District; or
      3. (C) The individual is invited to give a demonstration of a procedure or clinic in the District; provided, that the individual engages in the provision of care, consultation, demonstration, or clinic in affiliation with a comparable health professional licensed, registered, or certified pursuant to this chapter;
   5. (3A) To an individual retained to assess or evaluate a subject and to testify as an expert witness in any court or administrative proceeding, hearing, or trial;

   6. (4) To a health professional who is authorized to practice a health occupation in any state adjoining the District who treats patients in the District if:

      1. (A) The health professional does not have an office or other regularly appointed place in the District to meet patients;
      2. (B) The health professional registers with the appropriate board and pays the registration fee prescribed by the board prior to practicing in the District; and
      3. (C) The state in which the individual is licensed allows individuals licensed by the District in that particular health profession to practice in that state under the conditions set forth in this section.
2. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of subsection (a)(4) of this section, a health professional practicing in the District pursuant to subsection (a)(4) of this section shall not see patients, animals, or clients in the office or other place of practice of a District licensee, or otherwise circumvent the provisions of this chapter.

History

Mar. 25, 1986, D.C. Law 6-99, § 502, 33 DCR 729

Mar. 25, 2009, D.C. Law 17-353, § 188(b), 56 DCR 1117

July 18, 2009, D.C. Law 18-26, § 2(e)(3), 56 DCR 4043

Mar. 26, 2014, D.C. Law 20-96, § 102(l), 61 DCR 1184

Oct. 22, 2015, D.C. Law 21-36, § 5032(a), 62 DCR 10905

July 19, 2024, D.C. Law 25-191, § 101(cc)

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) addition of this section, see § 5032(a) of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2015 (D.C. Act 21-127, July 27, 2015, 62 DCR 10201).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(e)(3) of Health Occupations Revision General Amendment Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-146, July 28, 2009, 56 DCR 6308).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of Pharmaceutical Detailing Licensure Exemption Emergency Amendment Act of 2016 (D.C. Act 21-601, Jan. 6, 2017, 64 DCR 164).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 4 of Preserve Our Healthcare Workforce Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-189, Sept. 22, 2021, 68 DCR 011343).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 4 of Preserve Our Healthcare Workforce Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-245, Dec. 24, 2021, 68 DCR 013514).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of Health Occupations Revision Exemption Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 (D.C. Act 26-79, June 12, 2025, 72 DCR 6768).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of Health Occupations Revision Exemption Temporary Amendment Act of 2025 (D.C. Law 26-30, Aug. 23, 2025, 72 DCR 7672).

Effect of Amendments

The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 21-36 added (a)(2A).

The 2014 amendment by D.C. Law 20-96, in (a)(3), substituted “an individual, an animal, or group” for “an individual or group” and substituted “specific patient, animal, or client to visit, examine, treat, or provide advice regarding the specific patient, animal, or client” for “specific patient or client to visit, examine, treat, or advise the specific patient or client”; and substituted “patients, animals, or clients” for “patients or clients” in (b).

D.C. Law 18-26, in subsec. (a), rewrote the lead-in language and par. (3); and added par. (3)(A).

D.C. Law 17-353 designated the existing language as subsec. (a); in subsec. (a)(4)(C), substituted “this section” for “this subsection”; redesignated subsec. (a)(4)(D) as subsec. (b); and, in subsec. (b), substituted “subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of subsection (a)(4) of this section” for “subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this paragraph” and substituted “ subsection (a)(4) of this section shall” for “this paragraph shall”.

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 2-3305.2.

Temporary Legislation

For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2 of Pharmaceutical Detailing Licensure Exemption Temporary Amendment Act of 2017 (D.C. Law 21-247, Apr. 7, 2017, 64 DCR 1622).

For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 4 of Preserve Our Healthcare Workforce Temporary Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Law 24-59, Feb. 18, 2022, 68 DCR 013496).