I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4926 

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate Congressional 

review of newly-passed District laws. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2006 

Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on 

Rules, 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 amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to 

eliminate Congressional review of newly-passed District laws. 

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; REFERENCES IN ACT. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘District of Columbia Legislative Autonomy Act of 2006’’. 

6 (b) REFERENCES IN ACT.—Except as may otherwise 

7 be provided, whenever in this Act an amendment is ex8 pressed in terms of an amendment to or repeal of a section 

9 or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be 


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1 made to that section or other provision of the District of 

2 Columbia Home Rule Act. 

3 SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF 

4 NEWLY-PASSED DISTRICT LAWS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 602 (sec. 1–206.02, D.C. 

6 Official Code) is amended by striking subsection (c). 

7 (b) CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTIONS OF DIS8 APPROVAL.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The District of Columbia 

10 Home Rule Act is amended by striking section 604 

11 (sec. 1–206.04, D.C. Official Code). 

12 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con13 tents is amended by striking the item relating to sec14 tion 604. 

15 (3) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—This 

16 subsection and the amendments made by this sub17 section are enacted by Congress— 

18 (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power 

19 of the House of Representatives and the Sen20 ate, respectively, and as such they shall be con21 sidered as a part of the rules of each House, re22 spectively, or of that House to which they spe23 cifically apply, and such rules shall supersede 

24 other rules only to the extent that they are in25 consistent therewith; and 


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1 (B) with full recognition of the constitu2 tional right of either House to change such 

3 rules (so far as relating to such House) at any 

4 time, in the same manner, and to the same ex5 tent as in the case of any other rule of such 

6 House. 

7 SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

8 (a) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOME RULE ACT.—(1) 

9 Section 303 (sec. 1–203.03, D.C. Official Code) is amend10 ed— 

11 (A) in subsection (a), by striking the second 

12 sentence; and 

13 (B) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating 

14 subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c). 

15 (2) Section 404(e) (sec. 1–204.04(3), D.C. Official 

16 Code) is amended by striking ‘‘subject to the provisions 

17 of section 602(c)’’ each place it appears. 

18 (3) Section 462 (sec. 1–204.62, D.C. Official Code) 

19 is amended— 

20 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(a) The 

21 Council’’ and inserting ‘‘The Council’’; and 

22 (B) by striking subsections (b) and (c). 

23 (4) Section 472(d) (sec. 1–204.72(d), D.C. Official 

24 Code) is amended to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(d) PAYMENTS NOT SUBJECT TO APPROPRIA2 TION.—The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not apply 

3 to any amount obligated or expended by the District for 

4 the payment of the principal of, interest on, or redemption 

5 premium for any revenue anticipation note issued under 

6 subsection (a).’’. 

7 (5) Section 475(e) (sec. 1–204.75(e), D.C. Official 

8 Code) is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(e) PAYMENTS NOT SUBJECT TO APPROPRIA10 TION.—The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not apply 

11 to any amount obligated or expended by the District for 

12 the payment of the principal of, interest on, or redemption 

13 premium for any revenue anticipation note issued under 

14 this section.’’. 

15 (b) OTHER LAWS.—(1) Section 2(b)(1) of Amend16 ment No. 1 (relating to initiative and referendum) to title 

17 IV (the District Charter) (sec. 1–204.102(b)(1). D.C. Of18 ficial Code) is amended by striking ‘‘the appropriate custo19 dian’’ and all that follows through ‘‘portion of such act 

20 to’’. 

21 (2) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initia22 tive and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter) 

23 (sec. 1–204.105, D.C. Official Code) is amended by strik24 ing ‘‘, and such act’’ and all that follows and inserting 

25 a period. 


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1 (3) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Election 

2 Code of 1955 (sec. 1–1001.16, D.C. Official Code)— 

3 (A) in subsection (j)(2)— 

4 (i) by striking ‘‘sections 404 and 602(c)’’ 

5 and inserting ‘‘section 404’’, and 

6 (ii) by striking the second sentence; and 

7 (B) in subsection (m)— 

8 (i) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘the 

9 appropriate custodian’’ and all that follows 

10 through ‘‘parts of such act to’’, 

11 (ii) by striking ‘‘is held. If, however, after’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘is held unless, under’’, and 

13 (iii) by striking ‘‘section, the act which’’ 

14 and all that follows and inserting ‘‘section.’’. 

15 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

16 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

17 respect to each act of the District of Columbia— 

18 (1) passed by the Council of the District of Co19 lumbia and signed by the Mayor of the District of 

20 Columbia; 

21 (2) vetoed by the Mayor and repassed by the 

22 Council; 

23 (3) passed by the Council and allowed to be24 come effective by the Mayor without the Mayor’s sig25 nature; or 


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1 (4) in the case of initiated acts and acts subject 

2 to referendum, ratified by a majority of the reg3 istered qualified electors voting on the initiative or 

4 referendum, 

5 on or after October 1, 2006. 

Æ 


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