I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 345 

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate all federally 

imposed mandates over the local budget process and financial management of the District of Columbia and the borrowing of money by the 

District of Columbia. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 19, 2011 

Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate all federally imposed mandates over the local budget 

process and financial management of the District of Columbia and the borrowing of money by the District of 

Columbia. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘District of Columbia 

5 Budget Autonomy Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES OVER 

2 LOCAL BUDGET PROCESS AND FINANCIAL 

3 MANAGEMENT OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

4 (a) TERMINATION OF MANDATES.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Part D of title IV of the 

6 District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.41 

7 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at 

8 the end the following new subpart: 

9 ‘‘Subpart 3—Termination of Federal Mandates 

10 ‘‘TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES

11 ‘‘SEC. 458. (a) BUDGET AND FINANCIAL MANAGE12 MENT GOVERNED UNDER DISTRICT LAW.—Effective with 

13 respect to fiscal year 2012 and each succeeding fiscal year 

14 which is not a control year— 

15 ‘‘(1) the provisions of subpart 1 (other than 

16 section 451) and subpart 2 (other than section 455) 

17 shall not apply; and 

18 ‘‘(2) the process by which the District of Co19 lumbia develops and enacts the budget for the Dis20 trict government for a fiscal year, and the activities 

21 carried out with respect to the financial management 

22 of the District government for a fiscal year, shall be 

23 established under such laws as may be enacted by 

24 the District. 

25 ‘‘(b) NO EFFECT ON EXISTING OBLIGATIONS.— 

26 Nothing in this section may be construed to relieve the 


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1 District of Columbia of any contractual or other financial 

2 obligations incurred by the District under a budget en3 acted for a fiscal year prior to fiscal year 2012.’’. 

4 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con5 tents of such Act is amended by adding at the end 

6 of the items relating to part D of title IV the fol7 lowing: 

‘‘Subpart 3—Termination of Federal Mandates 

‘‘Sec. 458. Termination of Federal mandates.’’. 

8 (b) ELIMINATION OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW PE9 RIOD FOR BUDGET ACTS.—Section 602(c) of such Act 

10 (sec. 1–206.02(c), D.C. Official Code) is amended— 

11 (1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by 

12 striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs 

13 (2) and (4)’’; and 

14 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

15 paragraph: 

16 ‘‘(4) In the case of any Act adopting the annual budg17 et for the District of Columbia government for fiscal year 

18 2012 or any succeeding fiscal year which is not a control 

19 year, such Act shall take effect upon the date prescribed 

20 by such Act.’’. 

21 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES OVER BOR22 ROWING OF MONEY. 

23 (a) TERMINATION OF MANDATES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Part E of title IV of the 

2 District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.61 

3 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at 

4 the end the following new subpart: 

5 ‘‘Subpart 6—Termination of Federal Mandates 

6 ‘‘TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES

7 ‘‘SEC. 490A. (a) BORROWING GOVERNED UNDER

8 DISTRICT LAW.—Except as provided in subsection (b), ef9 fective with respect to fiscal year 2012 and each suc10 ceeding fiscal year which is not a control year— 

11 ‘‘(1) the provisions of subparts 1 through 5 

12 shall not apply; and 

13 ‘‘(2) the process and rules by which the District 

14 of Columbia issues bonds or otherwise borrows 

15 money shall be established under such laws as may 

16 be enacted by the District. 

17 ‘‘(b) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN PROVISIONS.—Sub18 section (a) does not apply with respect to the following 

19 sections: 

20 ‘‘(1) Section 482 (relating to the full faith and 

21 credit of the District). 

22 ‘‘(2) Section 484 (relating to the nonapplica23 bility of the full faith and credit of the United 

24 States). 


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1 ‘‘(3) Section 485 (relating to the tax treatment 

2 of bonds and notes). 

3 ‘‘(4) Section 486 (relating to legal investment 

4 in bonds and notes). 

5 ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec6 tion may be construed— 

7 ‘‘(1) to relieve the District of Columbia of any 

8 obligation incurred with respect to bonds or other 

9 forms of borrowing issued prior to fiscal year 2012; 

10 or 

11 ‘‘(2) to waive the application to the District of 

12 Columbia of any other Federal law governing the 

13 borrowing of funds by States or units of local gov14 ernment, including the Internal Revenue Code of 

15 1986.’’. 

16 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con17 tents of such Act is amended by adding at the end 

18 of the items relating to part E of title IV the fol19 lowing: 

‘‘Subpart 6—Termination of Federal Mandates 

‘‘Sec. 490A. Termination of Federal mandates.’’. 

20 (b) REPEAL OF CAP ON AMOUNT OF DISTRICT BOR21 ROWING.—Section 603(b) of such Act (sec. 1–206.03(b), 

22 D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at the end the 

23 following new paragraph: 


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1 ‘‘(4) Paragraphs (1) through (3) shall not apply with 

2 respect to fiscal year 2012 or any succeeding fiscal year 

3 which is not a control year.’’. 

4 SEC. 4. OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO HOME 

5 RULE ACT RELATING TO CHANGES IN FED6 ERAL ROLE IN BUDGET PROCESS. 

7 (a) FEDERAL AUTHORITY OVER BUDGET-MAKING

8 PROCESS.—Section 603(a) of the District of Columbia 

9 Home Rule Act (sec. 1–206.03, D.C. Official Code) is 

10 amended by inserting before the period at the end the fol11 lowing: ‘‘for a fiscal year which is a control year’’. 

12 (b) RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE DURING CONTROL

13 YEARS.—Section 603(d) of such Act (sec. 1–206.03(d), 

14 D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘(d) In the case of a fiscal year which is a control 

16 year, the Council may not approve, and the Mayor may 

17 not forward to the President, any budget which is not con18 sistent with the financial plan and budget established for 

19 the fiscal year under subtitle A of title II of the District 

20 of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management 

21 Assistance Act of 1995.’’. 

22 (c) DEFINITION.—Section 603(f) of such Act (sec. 1– 

23 206.03(f), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as fol24 lows: 


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1 ‘‘(f) In this section, the term ‘control year’ has the 

2 meaning given such term in section 305(4) of the District 

3 of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management 

4 Assistance Act of 1995.’’. 

5 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

6 this section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2012 

7 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

8 SEC. 5. OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO 

9 FEDERALLY AUTHORIZED ADJUSTMENTS TO 

10 LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 (a) AUTHORITY GRANTED BY FEDERAL GOVERN12 MENT TO INCREASE SPENDING IN CASE OF GENERAL

13 FUND SURPLUS.—Section 816 of the Financial Services 

14 and General Government Appropriations Act, 2009 (sec. 

15 47–369.01, D.C. Official Code), is amended by striking 

16 ‘‘Beginning in fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year there17 after,’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘With respect to fiscal 

18 years 2009 through 2011 and any fiscal year thereafter 

19 which is a control year (as defined in section 305(4) of 

20 the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and 

21 Management Assistance Act of 1995),’’. 

22 (b) AUTHORITY GRANTED BY FEDERAL GOVERN23 MENT TO INCREASE SPENDING IN CASE OF INCREASED

24 REVENUE COLLECTIONS.—Section 817(a) of such Act 

25 (sec. 47–369.02(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended by 


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1 striking ‘‘Beginning in fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal 

2 year thereafter,’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘With re3 spect to fiscal years 2009 through 2011 and any fiscal 

4 year thereafter which is a control year (as defined in sec5 tion 305(4) of the District of Columbia Financial Respon6 sibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995),’’. 

7 (c) AUTHORITY GRANTED BY FEDERAL GOVERN8 MENT REGARDING USE OF FEDERALLY MANDATED RE9 SERVE FUNDS.—Section 818 of such Act (sec. 47–369.03, 

10 D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ‘‘Beginning in 

11 fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year thereafter,’’ and in12 serting the following: ‘‘With respect to fiscal years 2009 

13 through 2011 and any fiscal year thereafter which is a 

14 control year (as defined in section 305(4) of the District 

15 of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management 

16 Assistance Act of 1995),’’. 

Æ 


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