What You Need to Know About Surveillance Pricing A December 2025 study conducted by Consumer Reports and the Groundwork Collaborative found that Instacart listed identical grocery items at varying prices within the same stores in the District of Columbia. In some cases, prices were marked up by as much as 23%, based not on supply or demand, but on algorithmic assessments that functionally tested differences in individual customers' willingness to pay for identical items. Councilmember Henderson wants to protect DC residents from these predatory pricing strategies.

The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into surveillance pricing in 2024, and released a research study in January 2025 that confirmed that companies were using consumer data to set prices. While the full extent of surveillance-based pricing is still being revealed, it can no longer be assured that a good or service's quoted price reflects its market value. Councilmember Henderson introduced the Surveillance Pricing Prohibition Amendment Act of 2026 to protect District residents from these exploitative pricing strategies before they become even more widespread and normalized.

The introduced legislation would amend the District's Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), creating new definitions for "surveillance-based price discrimination" and "personally identifiable information," and explicitly classifying surveillance-based pricing as an unfair or deceptive trade practice under D.C. Official Code § 28-3904. It would also align DC with similar efforts in Maryland, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, and California to address surveillance-based pricing practices.

Grocery bill feeling a little high? Is your cart getting more expensive even though you’re buying the same things?

What you’re experiencing is surveillance pricing.

I intro’d the Surveillance Pricing Prohibition Amendment Act of 2026 to protect DC residents from these predatory pricing strategies.

Budget Oversight of Department of Behavioral Health and Department of Insurance, Security, & Banking YouTube video by Councilmember Christina Henderson

NOW: The Committee on Health’s budget oversight hearing of the Department of Behavioral Health and the Department of Insurance, Security, and Banking.

WATCH HERE: www.youtube.com/live/jMe67ns...

I challenge you to celebrate the significance of this bright legacy in the African American community by participating in a local Emancipation Day event. You find a list of activities below.

mayor.dc.gov/release/mayo...

nmaahc.si.edu/events/distr...

Years ago newspapers recounted the first Emancipation Day parades as “an exhibition of folly and almost madness” as they simultaneously stated that parade was “no longer than the length of a short square”.

With the first Emancipation Parade taking place on April 19, 1866, the fourth anniversary of the DC Emancipation Act. The parades, organized to celebrate the abolition of slavery, were also used to make public demands for full citizenship.

April 16, 1862 marked the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, through the DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 over 3000 individuals were freed before the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The schedule for the Committee on Health’s FY2027 Budget Oversight Hearings is live. You can share the graphic below for easy access or check out the calendar online here: dccouncil.gov/2025-2026-pe...

You can sign up to testify for hearings here: lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings/

The Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Act of 2026 would establish the District Workers with Disabilities Program, a Medicaid Buy-In program that allows District residents with disabilities to maintain health coverage while earning income above Medicaid’s traditional limits as long as they pay affordable monthly premiums. Currently, aged, blind, and disabled individuals who earn more than $1,330 per month, or two-person households earning more than $1,804 per month, are ineligible for Medicaid in the District. This leads to disabled residents experiencing the “benefits cliff,” a phenomenon in which modest increases in income can result in the loss of critical public benefits, including Medicaid coverage and long-term services and supports. DC would be joining 48 other states with a Medicaid buy-in program if this legislation is approved by the full Council.

The Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2026 takes critical steps to help alleviate the burden of unpaid medical bills on District families. Nearly 90,000 District residents, or 20% of all residents, have unpaid medical bills. Research shows medical debt can have significant negative impacts on a household, including bankruptcy, job loss, eviction, food insecurity, and poor physical and mental health outcomes. This bill is prospective and puts in guardrails to ensure patients can enter financial assistance plans, and ensures that medical debt is not included on credit reports as it is distinctive from other types of consumer debt. In order to improve long term health outcomes, we must focus on the infrastructure that makes up the healthcare system. These bills aim to improve access to comprehensive healthcare in an equitable manner by alleviating financial pressures and improving access to health coverage and medical devices. I look forward to the full Council considering these bills later this month.

This weekend the National Cherry Blossom Festival continues with Jazz & Blossoms, a free family-friendly music and arts event sponsored by the DowntownDC BID that blends live jazz and hip-hop and includes additional interactive activities and play areas. Join us downtown this weekend as we kick off Spring Break for many of our students. The rest of this newsletter includes information on upcoming hearing dates and community events. In Service, Christina Henderson Councilmember, At-Large ChristinaHendersonDC.com

You can read the newsletter in its entirety here: www.christinahendersondc.com/newsletters/...

Dear Neighbors, Earlier today, Mayor Bowser presented highlights of her proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget to the DC Council and the public at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The full proposed budget will officially be transmitted on April 14. Until then, you can review the presentation slides, here, and review chapters that have been released so far here. I look forward to reviewing the full proposal – the devil is always in the details. The hearing schedule for the Committee on Health is below, and the complete budget hearing schedule is posted online.

This turned out to be quite the busy week. On Monday, I chaired the Committee on Health’s oversight roundtable on Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center’s operations, compliance, and community impact now that the hospital has been open one year. Cedar Hill represents one of the most significant public investments in health care in the District in decades and was designed to be a hub for a high-quality health system serving residents primarily on the east end of DC. However, the challenges the hospital has faced caused many of these goals to be unmet. Progress over the next six months will be key to Cedar Hill righting course. You can read a summary of the roundtable below.

Not to be eclipsed by other events of the week, on Tuesday, the Committee on Health voted and approved 7 nominations and three bills I introduced: the Prenatal and Postpartum Remote Patient Monitoring Clarification Amendment Act of 2026, the Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Act of 2026, and the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2026. The Prenatal and Postpartum Remote Patient Monitoring Clarification Amendment Act of 2025 amends the Postpartum Coverage Expansion Amendment Act of 2020 to require that the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) specifically cover remote patient monitoring (RPM) of blood pressure and blood glucose levels during pregnancy and up to 12 months postpartum. Research shows that RPM improves maternal health, supports better management of chronic conditions, and reduces preventable morbidity.

The latest installation of The Henderson Brief is live! In it you’ll find an overview of my intro’d bills: the Prenatal & Postpartum Remote Patient Monitoring Clarification Amendment Act, the Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Act, & the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act.

You can watch Mayor Bowser’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Presentation Here: entertainment.dc.gov/page/distric...

Supporting the long-term care workforce will take a whole of government approach and is critically important because people who are taking care of other people, especially our most vulnerable residents, deserve to take care of their families too.

While draft regulations for the law are still pending, DC Health has implemented provisions that reduce barriers and allow certified nurse aides from Maryland and Virginia to more easily register in the District.

My office had made strides to strengthen the long-term care workforce over the last few years through diffident initiatives, one being the Certified Nurse Aide Amendment Act of 2024.

Yesterday, I discussed this topic at a meeting for the Long Term Care Coalition and shared updates on the state of long-term care and aging in the District.

The reality in the District is that our population is aging rapidly while the demand for care is already outpacing workforce supply. Long-term care is not a niche issue, it affects everyone, as we will all need care at some point in our lives or for a loved one.

Committee on Health Meeting YouTube video by Councilmember Christina Henderson

WATCH IT HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOz1...

NOW: The COH will vote on the Prenatal & Postpartum Remote Patient Monitoring Clarification Amendment Act of 2025; the Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Act of 2025; the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025; & Confirmations to the Boards of Nursing & Funeral Directors

Roundtable on Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center Operations, Compliance, and Community Impact YouTube video by Councilmember Christina Henderson

NOW: Committee on Health’s Roundtable on Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center Operations, Compliance, and Community Impact

WATCH IT HERE: www.youtube.com/live/dv7ojnF...

WITNESS LIST: lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea...

Happy Easter! 🐰

Thank you to Dean Kelly Gebo, MD, MPH, her staff, and the GW Medical Resident Fellows for having me!

I introduced the Balancing Educational Investments Amendment Act of 2026 to help families afford and create futures like theirs!

It was a pleasure to meet and talk with @gwuniversity ‘s Health Policy Medical Resident Fellows today and answer such engaging questions.

Being a Councilmember allows me the opportunity to meet new people of every profession but rarely do I get the chance to meet with so many of tomorrow’s medical leaders.

NOW: The Committee on Health’s public roundtable on confirmations to the Board of Nursing and Board of Funeral Directors.

WATCH IT HERE: www.youtube.com/live/gLwDWKZ...

Passover commemorates the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt and is a celebration of freedom.

Wishing everyone a Chag Pesach sameach!

Unity Health Center stands as the largest network of community health centers in DC. Thank you to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Unity Health Center, Rashad A. Collins, for taking the time to meet with the Committee on Health team and I.

I introduced the Balancing Educational Investments Amendment Act of 2026 to help families save by ensuring that the DC College Savings Plan adjusts in response to changing educational costs.

Saving for college can be tough and with costs rising nationally it’s important that families have systems to plan and save for higher education in advance.

Costs nationwide have increased by 49% for public four-year colleges and 57% for private nonprofit four-year institutions over the past 30 yrs. While the cap for the DC’s College Savings Plan is still $500,000. Updating the limit will help residents to stay afloat in amongst college costs.

🚨NEW LEGISLATION

The Balancing Educational Investments Amendment Act of 2026