I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1858 

To provide for the retrocession of the District of Columbia to the State 

of Maryland, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 16, 2007 

Mr. GOHMERT (for himself, Mr. CULBERSON, and Mr. REGULA) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 

and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 

committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide for the retrocession of the District of Columbia 

to the State of Maryland, and for other purposes. 

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 Columbia5 Maryland Reunion Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RETROCESSION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO 

2 MARYLAND. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Upon the issuance of a proclama4 tion by the President under section 7 and except as pro5 vided in subsection (b), the territory ceded to Congress 

6 by the State of Maryland to serve as the District consti7 tuting the permanent seat of the Government of the 

8 United States is ceded and relinquished to the State of 

9 Maryland. 

10 (b) CONTINUATION OF FEDERAL CONTROL OVER

11 NATIONAL CAPITAL SERVICE AREA.—Notwithstanding 

12 subsection (a), Congress shall continue to exercise exclu13 sive legislative authority and control over the District of 

14 Columbia, which shall consist of the National Capital 

15 Service Area described in section 4. 

16 SEC. 3. EFFECT ON JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS IN DISTRICT 

17 OF COLUMBIA. 

18 (a) CONTINUATION OF SUITS.—No writ, action, in19 dictment, cause, or proceeding pending in any court of the 

20 District of Columbia on the effective date of this Act shall 

21 abate as a result of the enactment of this Act, but shall 

22 be transferred and shall proceed within such appropriate 

23 court of the State of Maryland as established under the 

24 laws or constitution of the State of Maryland. 

25 (b) APPEALS.—An order or decision of any court of 

26 the District of Columbia for which no appeal has been filed 


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1 as of the effective date of this Act shall be considered an 

2 order or decision of a court of the State of Maryland for 

3 purposes of appeal from and appellate review of such order 

4 or decision in an appropriate court of the State of Mary5 land. 

6 SEC. 4. NATIONAL CAPITAL SERVICE AREA. 

7 (a) DESCRIPTION.—The National Capital Service 

8 Area referred to in section 2(b) is comprised of the prin9 cipal Federal monuments, the White House, the United 

10 States Capitol, the United States Supreme Court Build11 ing, and the Federal executive, legislative, and judicial of12 fice buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the United 

13 States Capitol (but shall not include the District Build14 ing), and is more particularly described as the territory 

15 located within the following boundaries: 

16 Beginning at the point on the present Virginia17 District of Columbia boundary due west of the 

18 northernmost point of Theodore Roosevelt Island 

19 and running due east of the eastern shore of the Po20 tomac River; 

21 thence generally south along the shore at the 

22 mean high water mark to the northwest corner of 

23 the Kennedy Center; 


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1 thence east along the north side of the Kennedy 

2 Center to a point where it reaches the E Street Ex3 pressway; 

4 thence east on the expressway to E Street 

5 Northwest and thence east on E Street Northwest to 

6 Nineteenth Street Northwest; 

7 thence north on Nineteenth Street Northwest to 

8 F Street Northwest; 

9 thence east on F Street Northwest to Eight10 eenth Street Northwest; 

11 thence south on Eighteenth Street Northwest to 

12 Constitution Avenue Northwest; 

13 thence east on Constitution Avenue to Seven14 teenth Street Northwest; 

15 thence north on Seventeenth Street Northwest 

16 to H Street Northwest; 

17 thence east on H Street Northwest to Madison 

18 Place Northwest; 

19 thence south on Madison Place Northwest to 

20 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; 

21 thence east on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest 

22 to Fifteenth Street Northwest; 

23 thence south on Fifteenth Street Northwest to 

24 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; 


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1 thence southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue 

2 Northwest to Tenth Street Northwest; 

3 thence north on Tenth Street Northwest to E 

4 Street Northwest; 

5 thence east on E Street Northwest to Ninth 

6 Street Northwest; 

7 thence south on Ninth Street Northwest to 

8 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; 

9 thence southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue 

10 Northwest to John Marshall Place Northwest; 

11 thence north on John Marshall Place Northwest 

12 to C Street Northwest; 

13 thence east on C Street Northwest to Third 

14 Street Northwest; 

15 thence north on Third Street Northwest to D 

16 Street Northwest; 

17 thence east on D Street Northwest to Second 

18 Street Northwest; 

19 thence south on Second Street Northwest to the 

20 intersection of Constitution Avenue Northwest and 

21 Louisiana Avenue Northwest; 

22 thence northeast on Louisiana Avenue North23 west to North Capitol Street; 

24 thence north on North Capitol Street to Massa25 chusetts Avenue Northwest; 


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1 thence southeast on Massachusetts Avenue 

2 Northwest so as to encompass Union Square; 

3 thence following Union Square to F Street 

4 Northeast; 

5 thence east on F Street Northeast to Second 

6 Street Northeast; 

7 thence south on Second Street Northeast to D 

8 Street Northeast; 

9 thence west on D Street Northeast to First 

10 Street Northeast; 

11 thence south on First Street Northeast to C 

12 Street Northeast; 

13 thence east on C Street Northeast to Third 

14 Street Northeast; 

15 thence south on Third Street Northeast to 

16 Maryland Avenue Northeast; 

17 thence south and west on Maryland Avenue 

18 Northeast to Constitution Avenue Northeast; 

19 thence west on Constitution Avenue Northeast 

20 to First Street Northeast; 

21 thence south on First Street Northeast to 

22 Maryland Avenue Northeast; 

23 thence generally north and east on Maryland 

24 Avenue to Second Street Northeast; 


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1 thence south on Second Street Northeast to 

2 East Capitol Street; 

3 thence east on East Capitol Street to Third 

4 Street Northeast; 

5 thence south on Third Street Northeast to 

6 Independence Avenue Southeast; 

7 thence west on Independence Avenue Southeast 

8 to Second Street Southeast; 

9 thence south on Second Street Southeast to C 

10 Street Southeast; 

11 thence west on C Street Southeast to New Jer12 sey Avenue Southeast; 

13 thence south on New Jersey Avenue Southeast 

14 to D Street Southeast; 

15 thence west on D Street Southeast to Wash16 ington Avenue Southwest; 

17 thence north and west on Washington Avenue 

18 Southwest to the intersection of Independence Ave19 nue Southwest and Second Street Southwest; 

20 thence south on Second Street Southwest to 

21 Virginia Avenue Southwest; 

22 thence generally west on Virginia Avenue to 

23 Third Street Southwest; 

24 thence north on Third Street Southwest to C 

25 Street Southwest; 


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1 thence west on C Street Southwest to Sixth 

2 Street Southwest; 

3 thence south on Sixth Street Southwest to E 

4 Street Southwest; 

5 thence west on E Street Southwest to Seventh 

6 Street Southwest; 

7 thence north on Seventh Street Southwest to 

8 Maryland Avenue Southwest; 

9 thence west on Maryland Avenue Southwest to 

10 Ninth Street Southwest; 

11 thence north on Ninth Street Southwest to 

12 Independence Avenue Southwest; 

13 thence west on Independence Avenue Southwest 

14 to Twelfth Street Southwest; 

15 thence south on Twelfth Street Southwest to D 

16 Street Southwest; 

17 thence west on D Street Southwest to Four18 teenth Street Southwest; 

19 thence south on Fourteenth Street Southwest to 

20 the middle of the Washington Channel; 

21 thence generally south and east along the 

22 midchannel of the Washington Channel to a point 

23 due west of the northern boundary line of Fort Les24 ley McNair; 


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1 thence due east to the side of the Washington 

2 Channel; 

3 thence following generally south and east along 

4 the side of the Washington Channel at the mean 

5 high water mark, to the point of confluence with the 

6 Anacostia River, and along the northern shore at the 

7 mean high water mark to the northernmost point of 

8 the Eleventh Street Bridge; 

9 thence generally south and west along such 

10 shore at the mean high water mark to the point of 

11 confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers; 

12 thence generally south and east along the 

13 northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge to the 

14 eastern shore of the Anacostia River; 

15 thence generally south along the eastern shore 

16 at the mean high water mark of the Potomac River 

17 to the point where it meets the present southeastern 

18 boundary line of the District of Columbia; 

19 thence south and west along such southeastern 

20 boundary line to the point where it meets the 

21 present Virginia-District of Columbia boundary; 

22 thence generally north and west up the Poto23 mac River along the Virginia-District of Columbia 

24 boundary to the point of beginning. 


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1 (b) STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.—The National Cap2 ital Service Area shall include any street (and sidewalk 

3 thereof) that bounds such Area. 

4 (c) AFFRONTING OR ABUTTING FEDERAL REAL

5 PROPERTY.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The National Capital Serv7 ice Area shall include any Federal real property af8 fronting or abutting such Area as of the effective 

9 date of this Act. 

10 (2) PROPERTY INCLUDED.—For purposes of 

11 paragraph (1), Federal real property affronting or 

12 abutting the National Capital Service Area shall— 

13 (A) include the Department of Housing 

14 and Urban Development Building, the Depart15 ment of Energy Building, Fort Lesley McNair, 

16 the Washington Navy Yard, the Anacostia 

17 Naval Annex, the United States Naval Station, 

18 Bolling Air Force Base, and the Naval Re19 search Laboratory; and 

20 (B) not include any portion of Rock Creek 

21 Park, any portion of Anacostia Park east of the 

22 northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge, or 

23 any territory not located in the District of Co24 lumbia on the day before the date of the enact25 ment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 5. TRANSITION PROVISIONS RELATING TO HOUSE OF 

2 REPRESENTATIVES. 

3 (a) TEMPORARY INCREASE IN APPORTIONMENT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Until the taking effect of the 

5 first reapportionment occurring after the effective 

6 date of this Act— 

7 (A) the individual serving as the Delegate 

8 to the House of Representatives from the Dis9 trict of Columbia shall serve as a member of 

10 the House of Representatives from the State of 

11 Maryland; 

12 (B) the State of Maryland shall be entitled 

13 to 1 additional Representative until the taking 

14 effect of such reapportionment; and 

15 (C) such Representative shall be in addi16 tion to the membership of the House of Rep17 resentatives as now prescribed by law. 

18 (2) INCREASE NOT COUNTED AGAINST TOTAL

19 NUMBER OF MEMBERS.—The temporary increase in 

20 the membership of the House of Representatives 

21 provided under paragraph (1) shall not operate to ei22 ther increase or decrease the permanent membership 

23 of the House of Representatives as prescribed in the 

24 Act of August 8, 1911 (37 Stat. 13; 2 U.S.C. 2), 

25 nor shall such temporary increase affect the basis of 

26 reapportionment established by the Act of November 


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1 15, 1941 (55 Stat. 761; 2 U.S.C. 2a), for the 82nd 

2 Congress and each Congress thereafter. 

3 (b) REPEAL OF LAWS PROVIDING FOR DELEGATE

4 FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.—Sections 202 and 

5 204 of the District of Columbia Delegate Act (Public Law 

6 91–405; sections 1–401 and 1–402, D.C. Official Code) 

7 are repealed, and the provisions of law amended or re8 pealed by such sections are restored or revived as if such 

9 sections had not been enacted. 

10 SEC. 6. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS. 

11 No law or regulation which is in force on the effective 

12 date of this Act shall be deemed amended or repealed by 

13 this Act except to the extent specifically provided in this 

14 Act, or to the extent that such law or regulation is incon15 sistent with this Act. 

16 SEC. 7. PROCLAMATION REGARDING ACCEPTANCE OF RET17 ROCESSION BY MARYLAND. 

18 (a) PROCLAMATION BY STATE OF MARYLAND.—Not 

19 later than 30 days after the State of Maryland enacts leg20 islation accepting the retrocession described in section 

21 2(a), the President shall issue a proclamation announcing 

22 such acceptance and declaring that the territory ceded to 

23 Congress by the State of Maryland to serve as the District 

24 constituting the permanent seat of the Government of the 


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1 United States has been ceded back to the State of Mary2 land. 

3 (b) REPORT BY CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE

4 ON ECONOMIC IMPACT.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Con6 gressional Budget Office shall prepare a report ana7 lyzing the anticipated economic impact on the State 

8 of Maryland of the State’s acceptance of the ret9 rocession described in section 2(a), including the an10 ticipated effect on the budgets of the State govern11 ment and local governments, and shall submit the 

12 report to Congress and the governor of Maryland. 

13 (2) DELAY IN ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION.— 

14 The State of Maryland may not enact legislation ac15 cepting the retrocession described in section 2(a) 

16 until the expiration of the 1-year period which be17 gins on the date the Director of the Congressional 

18 Budget Office submits the report prepared under 

19 paragraph (1) to the governor of Maryland. 

20 SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

21 The provisions of this Act and the amendments made 

22 by this Act shall take effect on the date the President 

23 issues a proclamation under section 7 or the date of the 

24 ratification of an amendment to the Constitution of the 


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1 United States repealing the twenty-third article of amend2 ment to the Constitution, whichever comes later. 

Æ 


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