- Home
- Advocacy
- Latest News and Practice Data
- State Advocacy Win! CAP and DC Pathologists Successfully Advocate to Repeal Laboratory Licensure Law
On May 29, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser enacted a CAP-amended “Health Occupations Revision General Amendment Act of 2023” (B25-0545), successfully repealing DC’s 2015 clinical laboratory licensure law.
The CAP worked closely with the DC Hospital Association (DCHA), the Medical Society of the District of Columbia (MSDC), and numerous DC pathology leaders to strongly urge the repeal of the law. The DC government never operationalized the law following the 2015 enactment. They had several times, most recently this year, attempted implementation.
DC pathologists with CAP support lobbied to repeal the law to address workforce shortages and remove duplicative requirements with CLIA. CAP’s President Donald Karcher, MD, FCAP, previously urged DC City Council to repeal the law during the legislative process. The CAP echoed Dr. Karcher’s comments in a meeting with DC’s Committee on Health.
The act is pending with the US Congress for 30 days ending on July 5, before taking effect as law.