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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3902 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.3902

                      One Hundred Twelfth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America

                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and twelve

                                 An Act

 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to revise the timing of 
     special elections for local office in the District of Columbia.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``District of Columbia Special 
Election Reform Act''.
SEC. 2. TIMING OF SPECIAL ELECTIONS FOR LOCAL OFFICE IN DISTRICT OF 
COLUMBIA.
    (a) Council.--
        (1) Chair.--The first sentence of section 401(b)(3) of the 
    District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1-204.01(b)(3), D.C. 
    Official Code) is amended to read as follows: ``To fill a vacancy 
    in the Office of Chairman, the Board of Elections shall hold a 
    special election in the District on the Tuesday occurring at least 
    70 days and not more than 174 days after the date on which such 
    vacancy occurs which the Board of Elections determines, based on a 
    totality of the circumstances, taking into account, inter alia, 
    cultural and religious holidays and the administrability of the 
    election, will provide the opportunity for the greatest level of 
    voter participation.''.
        (2) Members elected from wards.--The first sentence of section 
    401(d)(1) of such Act (sec. 1-204.01(d)(1), D.C. Official Code) is 
    amended to read as follows: ``In the event of a vacancy in the 
    Council of a member elected from a ward, the Board of Elections 
    shall hold a special election in the District on the Tuesday 
    occurring at least 70 days and not more than 174 days after the 
    date on which such vacancy occurs which the Board of Elections 
    determines, based on a totality of the circumstances, taking into 
    account, inter alia, cultural and religious holidays and the 
    administrability of the election, will provide the opportunity for 
    the greatest level of voter participation.''.
        (3) Members elected at-large.--The second sentence of section 
    401(d)(2) of such Act (sec. 1-204.01(d)(2)) is amended by striking 
    ``and such special election'' and all that follows and inserting 
    the following: ``and such special election shall be held on the 
    Tuesday occurring at least 70 days and not more than 174 days after 
    the date on which such vacancy occurs which the Board of Elections 
    determines, based on a totality of the circumstances, taking into 
    account, inter alia, cultural and religious holidays and the 
    administrability of the election, will provide the opportunity for 
    the greatest level of voter participation.''.
    (b) Mayor.--The first sentence of section 421(c)(2) of such Act 
(sec. 1-204.21.(c)(2), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as 
follows: ``To fill a vacancy in the Office of Mayor, the Board of 
Elections shall hold a special election in the District on the Tuesday 
occurring at least 70 days and not more than 174 days after the date on 
which such vacancy occurs which the Board of Elections determines, 
based on a totality of the circumstances, taking into account, inter 
alia, cultural and religious holidays and the administrability of the 
election, will provide the opportunity for the greatest level of voter 
participation.''.
    (c) Attorney General.--The first sentence of section 435(b)(1) of 
such Act (sec. 1-204.35(b)(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended by 
striking ``the Board'' and all that follows and inserting the 
following: ``the Board of Elections shall hold a special election in 
the District on the Tuesday occurring at least 70 days and not more 
than 174 days after the date on which such vacancy occurs which the 
Board of Elections determines, based on a totality of the 
circumstances, taking into account, inter alia, cultural and religious 
holidays and the administrability of the election, will provide the 
opportunity for the greatest level of voter participation.''.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
    The amendments made by section 2 shall apply with respect to 
vacancies occurring on or after the enactment of this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.
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