I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 552 

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate all Federallyimposed 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 27, 2015 

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 2015’’. 


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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— 

7 204.41 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is amended by 

8 adding at 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 2016 and each succeeding fiscal year 

14 which is not a control year— 

15 ‘‘(1) the provisions of subpart 1 and subpart 2 

16 (other than sections 445A, 449, 453(c), and 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 (except that nothing in this subsection 

25 may be construed to permit the District to waive the 


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1 application of any other provision of this Act to such 

2 budget or such activities for the fiscal year). 

3 ‘‘(b) SPECIAL RULE FOR DETERMINATION OF FIS4 CAL YEAR.—Section 441 (relating to the fiscal year of the 

5 District) shall not apply with respect to fiscal year 2016 

6 or any succeeding fiscal year, without regard to whether 

7 or not the fiscal year is a control year. 

8 ‘‘(c) NO EFFECT ON EXISTING OBLIGATIONS.— 

9 Nothing in this section may be construed to relieve the 

10 District of Columbia of any contractual or other financial 

11 obligations incurred by the District under a budget en12 acted for a fiscal year prior to fiscal year 2016. 

13 ‘‘(d) NO EFFECT ON OTHER PROVISIONS OF LAW.— 

14 Nothing in this section may be construed to waive the ap15 plication of any provision of this Act with respect to the 

16 process and activities described in subsection (a)(2) for a 

17 fiscal year, other than the provisions which do not apply 

18 to the fiscal year pursuant to subsection (a)(1).’’. 

19 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con20 tents of such Act is amended by adding at the end 

21 of the items relating to part D of title IV the fol22 lowing: 

‘‘Subpart 3—Termination of Federal Mandates 

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


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1 (b) ELIMINATION OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW PE2 RIOD FOR BUDGET ACTS.—Section 602(c) of such Act 

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

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

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

6 (2) and (4)’’; and 

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

8 paragraph: 

9 ‘‘(4) In the case of any Act adopting the annual budg10 et for the District of Columbia government for fiscal year 

11 2016 or any succeeding fiscal year which is not a control 

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

13 by such Act.’’. 

14 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES OVER BOR15 ROWING OF MONEY. 

16 (a) TERMINATION OF MANDATES.— 

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

18 District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1— 

19 204.61 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is amended by 

20 adding at the end the following new subpart: 

21 ‘‘Subpart 6—Termination of Federal Mandates 

22 ‘‘TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES

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

24 DISTRICT LAW.—Except as provided in subsection (b), efVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:48 Feb 03, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H552.IH H552

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1 fective with respect to fiscal year 2016 and each suc2 ceeding fiscal year which is not a control year— 

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

4 shall not apply; and 

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

6 of Columbia issues bonds or otherwise borrows 

7 money shall be established under such laws as may 

8 be enacted by the District. 

9 ‘‘(b) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN PROVISIONS.—Sub10 section (a) does not apply with respect to the following 

11 sections: 

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

13 credit of the District). 

14 ‘‘(2) Section 484 (relating to the nonapplica15 bility of the full faith and credit of the United 

16 States). 

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

18 of bonds and notes). 

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

20 in bonds and notes). 

21 ‘‘(5) Section 487 (relating to payments for sani22 tary sewage water works, water pollution projects, 

23 and waste treatment services). 

24 ‘‘(6) Section 488 (relating to payments for res25 ervoirs on the Potomac River). 


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1 ‘‘(7) Section 489 (relating to contributions to 

2 the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Author3 ity). 

4 ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec5 tion may be construed— 

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

7 obligation incurred with respect to bonds or other 

8 forms of borrowing issued prior to fiscal year 2016; 

9 or 

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

11 Columbia of any other Federal law governing the 

12 borrowing of funds by States or units of local gov13 ernment, including the Internal Revenue Code of 

14 1986.’’. 

15 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con16 tents of such Act is amended by adding at the end 

17 of the items relating to part E of title IV the fol18 lowing: 

‘‘Subpart 6—Termination of Federal Mandates 

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

19 (b) REPEAL OF CAP ON AMOUNT OF DISTRICT BOR20 ROWING.—Section 603(b) of such Act (sec. 1—206.03(b), 

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

22 following new paragraph: 


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

2 respect to fiscal year 2016 or any succeeding fiscal year 

3 which is not a control year.’’. 

4 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF APPLICATION OF FEDERAL ANTI-DEFI5 CIENCY ACT TO DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GOV6 ERNMENT. 

7 (a) REPEAL OF PROVISIONS RELATING TO LIMITA8 TIONS ON APPROPRIATIONS.—Subchapter III of chapter 

9 13 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking 

10 ‘‘or of the District of Columbia government’’ each place 

11 it appears in the following sections: 

12 (1) Section 1341(a)(1). 

13 (2) Section 1342. 

14 (3) Section 1349(a). 

15 (4) Section 1350. 

16 (5) Section 1351. 

17 (b) REPEAL OF PROVISIONS RELATING TO APPOR18 TIONMENT OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Subchapter II of chap19 ter 15 of such title is amended by striking ‘‘or of the Dis20 trict of Columbia government’’ each place it appears in 

21 the following sections: 

22 (1) Section 1517(a). 

23 (2) Section 1517(b). 

24 (3) Section 1518. 

25 (4) Section 1519. 


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1 (c) OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such title 

2 is further amended as follows: 

3 (1) Section 1341 is amended by striking sub4 section (b). 

5 (2) Section 1351 is amended by striking ‘‘or 

6 the Mayor of the District of Columbia, as the case 

7 may be,’’. 

8 (3) Section 1513(a) and section 1514(a) are 

9 each amended by striking ‘‘the United States Inter10 national Trade Commission, or the District of Co11 lumbia government’’ and inserting ‘‘or the United 

12 States International Trade Commission’’. 

13 (4) Section 1517(b) is amended by striking ‘‘or 

14 the Mayor of the District of Columbia, as the case 

15 may be,’’. 

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

17 this section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2016 

18 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

19 SEC. 5. OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO HOME 

20 RULE ACT RELATING TO CHANGES IN FED21 ERAL ROLE IN BUDGET PROCESS. 

22 (a) FEDERAL AUTHORITY OVER BUDGET-MAKING

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

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


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1 amended by inserting before the period at the end the fol2 lowing: ‘‘for a fiscal year which is a control year’’. 

3 (b) RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE DURING CONTROL

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

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

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

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

8 not forward to the President, any budget which is not con9 sistent with the financial plan and budget established for 

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

11 of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management 

12 Assistance Act of 1995.’’. 

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

14 206.03(f), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as fol15 lows: 

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

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

18 of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management 

19 Assistance Act of 1995.’’. 

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

21 this section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2016 

22 and each succeeding fiscal year. 


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1 SEC. 6. OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO 

2 FEDERALLY-AUTHORIZED ADJUSTMENTS TO 

3 LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS. 

4 (a) AUTHORITY GRANTED BY FEDERAL GOVERN5 MENT TO INCREASE SPENDING IN CASE OF GENERAL

6 FUND SURPLUS.—Section 816 of the Financial Services 

7 and General Government Appropriations Act, 2009 (sec. 

8 47–369.01, D.C. Official Code), is amended by striking 

9 ‘‘Beginning in fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year there10 after,’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘With respect to fiscal 

11 years 2009 through 2015 and any fiscal year thereafter 

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

13 the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and 

14 Management Assistance Act of 1995),’’. 

15 (b) AUTHORITY GRANTED BY FEDERAL GOVERN16 MENT TO INCREASE SPENDING IN CASE OF INCREASED

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

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

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

20 year thereafter,’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘With re21 spect to fiscal years 2009 through 2015 and any fiscal 

22 year thereafter which is a control year (as defined in sec23 tion 305(4) of the District of Columbia Financial Respon24 sibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995),’’. 

25 (c) AUTHORITY GRANTED BY FEDERAL GOVERN26 MENT REGARDING USE OF FEDERALLY-MANDATED REVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:48 Feb 03, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H552.IH H552

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1 SERVE FUNDS.—Section 818 of such Act (sec. 47–369.03, 

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

3 fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year thereafter,’’ and in4 serting the following: ‘‘With respect to fiscal years 2009 

5 through 2015 and any fiscal year thereafter which is a 

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

7 of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management 

8 Assistance Act of 1995),’’. 

Æ 


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