I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6866 

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit the District 

of Columbia to establish the timing of special elections for local office 

in the District of Columbia. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2023 

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

Committee on Oversight and Accountability 

A BILL 

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit 

the District of Columbia to establish the timing of special 

elections for local office in 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 Special Elections Home Rule Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TIMING OF SPECIAL ELECTIONS FOR LOCAL OF7 FICE IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

8 (a) COUNCIL.— 


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1 (1) CHAIR.—The first sentence of section 

2 401(b)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule 

3 Act (sec. 1–204.01(b)(3), D.C. Official Code) is 

4 amended to read as follows: ‘‘To fill a vacancy in the 

5 Office of Chairman, the Board of Elections shall 

6 hold a special election in the District in accordance 

7 with such procedures, including procedures estab8 lishing the time of the election, as may be estab9 lished by law of the District of Columbia.’’. 

10 (2) MEMBERS ELECTED FROM WARDS.—The 

11 first sentence of section 401(d)(1) of such Act (sec. 

12 1–204.01(d)(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended to 

13 read as follows: ‘‘In the event of a vacancy in the 

14 Council of a member elected from a ward, the Board 

15 of Elections shall hold a special election in the Dis16 trict in accordance with such procedures, including 

17 procedures establishing the time of the election, as 

18 may be established by law of the District of Colum19 bia.’’. 

20 (3) MEMBERS ELECTED AT-LARGE.—The sec21 ond sentence of section 401(d)(2) of such Act (sec. 

22 1–204.01(d)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘and such 

23 special election’’ and all that follows and inserting 

24 the following: ‘‘and such special election shall be 

25 held in accordance with such procedures, including 


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1 procedures establishing the time of the election, as 

2 may be established by law of the District of Colum3 bia.’’. 

4 (b) MAYOR.—The first sentence of section 421(c)(2) 

5 of such Act (sec. 1–204.21(c)(2), D.C. Official Code) is 

6 amended to read as follows: ‘‘To fill a vacancy in the Of7 fice of Mayor, the Board of Elections shall hold a special 

8 election in the District in accordance with such proce9 dures, including procedures establishing the time of the 

10 election, as may be established by law of the District of 

11 Columbia.’’. 

12 (c) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The first sentence of sec13 tion 435(b)(1) of such Act (sec. 1–204.35(b)(1), D.C. Of14 ficial Code) is amended by striking ‘‘the Board of Elec15 tions’’ and all that follows and inserting the following: 

16 ‘‘the Board of Elections shall hold a special election in 

17 the District in accordance with such procedures, including 

18 procedures establishing the time of the election, as may 

19 be established by law of the District of Columbia.’’. 

20 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

21 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

22 respect to vacancies occurring after the expiration of the 

23 one-year period which begins on the date of the enactment 

24 of this Act. 

Æ 


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