II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3696 

To provide for the admission of the State of New Columbia into the Union. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 19, 2012 

Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mrs. BOXER) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide for the admission of the State of New Columbia 

into the Union. 

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

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

5 ‘‘New Columbia Admission Act’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—STATE OF NEW COLUMBIA 

Subtitle A—Procedures for Admission 

Sec. 101. Admission into the Union. 

Sec. 102. Process for admission. 


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Sec. 103. Election of officials of State. 

Sec. 104. Issuance of presidential proclamation. 

Subtitle B—Description of New Columbia Territory 

Sec. 111. Territories and boundaries of New Columbia. 

Sec. 112. Description of District of Columbia after admission of State. 

Sec. 113. Continuation of title to lands and property. 

Subtitle C—General Provisions Relating to Laws of New Columbia 

Sec. 121. Limitation on authority of State to tax Federal property. 

Sec. 122. Effect of admission of State on current laws. 

Sec. 123. Continuation of judicial proceedings. 

Sec. 124. United States nationality. 

TITLE II—RESPONSIBILITIES AND INTERESTS OF FEDERAL 

GOVERNMENT 

Sec. 201. Continuation of revised District of Columbia as seat of Federal Government. 

Sec. 202. Treatment of military lands. 

Sec. 203. Waiver of claims to Federal lands and property. 

Sec. 204. Permitting individuals residing in new seat of government to vote in 

Federal elections in State of most recent domicile. 

Sec. 205. Repeal of law providing for participation of District of Columbia in 

election of President and Vice President. 

Sec. 206. Expedited consideration of constitutional amendment. 

TITLE III—GENERAL PROVISIONS 

Sec. 301. General definitions. 

Sec. 302. Certification of enactment by President. 

1 TITLE I—STATE OF NEW 

2 COLUMBIA 

3 Subtitle A—Procedures for 

4 Admission 

5 SEC. 101. ADMISSION INTO THE UNION. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the provisions of this 

7 Act, upon issuance of the proclamation required by section 

8 104(b), the State of New Columbia is declared to be a 

9 State of the United States of America, and is declared 

10 admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the other 

11 States in all respects whatever. 


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1 (b) CONSTITUTION OF STATE.—The State Constitu2 tion shall always be republican in form and shall not be 

3 repugnant to the Constitution of the United States and 

4 the principles of the Declaration of Independence. 

5 SEC. 102. PROCESS FOR ADMISSION. 

6 (a) APPROVAL OF ADMISSION BY VOTERS OF DIS7 TRICT OF COLUMBIA.— 

8 (1) ELECTION PROCEDURES.—At an election 

9 designated by proclamation of the Mayor, which may 

10 be the primary or the general election held pursuant 

11 to section 103(a), a general election, or a special 

12 election, there shall be submitted to the electors 

13 qualified to vote in such election the following propo14 sitions for adoption or rejection: 

15 ‘‘(A) New Columbia shall immediately be 

16 admitted into the Union as a State. 

17 ‘‘(B) The proposed Constitution for the 

18 State of New Columbia, as adopted by the 

19 Council of the District of Columbia pursuant to 

20 the Constitution for the State of New Columbia 

21 Approval Act of 1987 (DC Law 7–8), shall be 

22 deemed ratified and shall replace the Constitu23 tion for the State of New Columbia ratified on 

24 November 2, 1982. 


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1 ‘‘(C) The boundaries of the State of New 

2 Columbia shall be as prescribed in the New Co3 lumbia Admission Act. 

4 ‘‘(D) All provisions of the New Columbia 

5 Admission Act, including provisions reserving 

6 rights or powers to the United States and pro7 visions prescribing the terms or conditions of 

8 the grants of lands or other property made to 

9 the State of New Columbia, are consented to 

10 fully by the State and its people.’’. 

11 (2) RESPONSIBILITIES OF MAYOR.—The Mayor 

12 of the District of Columbia is authorized and di13 rected to take such action as may be necessary or 

14 appropriate to ensure the submission of such propo15 sitions to the people. The return of the votes cast on 

16 such propositions shall be made by the election offi17 cers directly to the Board of Elections of the Dis18 trict of Columbia, which shall certify the results of 

19 the submission to the Mayor. The Mayor shall cer20 tify the results of such submission to the President 

21 of the United States. 

22 (b) EFFECT OF VOTE.— 

23 (1) ADOPTION OF PROPOSITIONS.—In the event 

24 the propositions described in subsection (a) are 

25 adopted in an election under such subsection by a 


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1 majority of the legal votes cast on such submis2 sion— 

3 (A) the State Constitution shall be deemed 

4 ratified; and 

5 (B) the President shall issue a proclama6 tion pursuant to section 104. 

7 (2) REJECTION OF PROPOSITION.—In the event 

8 any one of the propositions described in subsection 

9 (a) is not adopted in an election under such sub10 section by a majority of the legal votes cast on such 

11 submission, the provisions of this Act shall cease to 

12 be effective. 

13 SEC. 103. ELECTION OF OFFICIALS OF STATE. 

14 (a) ISSUANCE OF PROCLAMATION.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not more than 30 days after 

16 receiving certification of the enactment of this Act 

17 from the President pursuant to section 302, the 

18 Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proc19 lamation for the first elections, subject to the provi20 sions of this section, for two Senators and one Rep21 resentative in Congress. 

22 (2) SPECIAL RULE FOR ELECTION OF SEN23 ATORS.—In the election of Senators from the State 

24 pursuant to paragraph (1), the 2 Senate offices shall 

25 be separately identified and designated, and no perVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:55 Dec 27, 2012 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3696.IS S3696

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1 son may be a candidate for both offices. No such 

2 identification or designation of either of the offices 

3 shall refer to or be taken to refer to the terms of 

4 such offices, or in any way impair the privilege of 

5 the Senate to determine the class to which each of 

6 the Senators elected shall be assigned. 

7 (b) RULES FOR CONDUCTING ELECTION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The proclamation of the 

9 Mayor issued under subsection (a) shall provide for 

10 the holding of a primary election and a general elec11 tion and at such elections the officers required to be 

12 elected as provided in subsection (a) shall be chosen 

13 by the qualified electors of the District of Columbia 

14 in the manner required by law. 

15 (2) CERTIFICATION OF RETURNS.—Election re16 turns shall be made and certified in the manner re17 quired by law, except that the Mayor shall also cer18 tify the results of such elections to the President of 

19 the United States. 

20 (c) ASSUMPTION OF DUTIES.—Upon the admission 

21 of the State into the Union, the Senators and Representa22 tive elected at the election described in subsection (a) shall 

23 be entitled to be admitted to seats in Congress and to all 

24 the rights and privileges of Senators and Representatives 

25 of other States in the Congress of the United States. 


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1 (d) TRANSFER OF OFFICES OF MAYOR AND MEM2 BERS AND CHAIR OF COUNCIL.—Upon the admission of 

3 the State into the Union, the Mayor, members of the 

4 Council, and the Chair of the Council at the time of admis5 sion shall be deemed the Governor, members of the House 

6 of Delegates, and the President of the House of Delegates 

7 of the State, respectively, as provided by the State Con8 stitution and the laws of the State. 

9 (e) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY AND DUTIES AND

10 JUDICIAL AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.—Upon the admis11 sion of the State into the Union, members of executive 

12 and judicial offices of the District of Columbia shall be 

13 deemed members of the respective executive and judicial 

14 offices of the State, as provided by the State Constitution 

15 and the laws of the State. 

16 (f) SPECIAL RULE FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTA17 TIVES MEMBERSHIP.—The State upon its admission into 

18 the Union shall be entitled to one Representative until the 

19 taking effect of the next reapportionment, and such Rep20 resentative shall be in addition to the membership of the 

21 House of Representatives as now prescribed by law, except 

22 that such temporary increase in the membership shall not 

23 operate to either increase or decrease the permanent mem24 bership of the House of Representatives or affect the basis 

25 of apportionment for the Congress. 


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1 SEC. 104. ISSUANCE OF PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—If the President finds that the 

3 propositions set forth in section 102(a) have been duly 

4 adopted by the people of the State, the President, upon 

5 certification of the returns of the election of the officers 

6 required to be elected as provided in section 103(a), shall, 

7 not later than 90 days after receiving such certification, 

8 issue a proclamation announcing the results of such elec9 tions as so ascertained. 

10 (b) ADMISSION OF STATE UPON ISSUANCE OF PROC11 LAMATION.—Upon the issuance of the proclamation by the 

12 President under subsection (a), the State shall be deemed 

13 admitted into the Union as provided in section 101. 

14 Subtitle B—Description of New 

15 Columbia Territory 

16 SEC. 111. TERRITORIES AND BOUNDARIES OF NEW COLUM17 BIA. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

19 (b), the State shall consist of all of the territory of the 

20 District of Columbia as of the date of the enactment of 

21 this Act, subject to the results of the technical survey con22 ducted under subsection (c). 

23 (b) EXCLUSION OF PORTION OF DISTRICT OF CO24 LUMBIA REMAINING AS NATIONAL CAPITAL.—The terri25 tory of the State shall not include the area described in 

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1 bia for purposes of serving as the seat of the government 

2 of the United States. 

3 (c) TECHNICAL SURVEY.—Not later than 6 months 

4 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President 

5 (in consultation with the Chair of the National Capital 

6 Planning Commission) shall conduct a technical survey of 

7 the metes and bounds of the District of Columbia and of 

8 the territory described in section 112(b). 

9 SEC. 112. DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AFTER 

10 ADMISSION OF STATE. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the succeeding provi12 sions of this section, after the admission of the State into 

13 the Union, the District of Columbia shall consist of the 

14 property described in subsection (b) and shall include the 

15 principal Federal monuments, the White House, the Cap16 itol Building, the United States Supreme Court Building, 

17 and the Federal executive, legislative, and judicial office 

18 buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol 

19 Building. 

20 (b) SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF METES AND

21 BOUNDS.—After the admission of the State into the 

22 Union, the specific metes and bounds of the District of 

23 Columbia shall be as follows: 

24 Beginning at the point on the present Virginia25 District of Columbia boundary due west of the 


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1 northernmost point of Theodore Roosevelt Island 

2 and running due east of the eastern shore of the Po3 tomac River; 

4 thence generally south along the shore at the 

5 mean high water mark to the northwest corner of 

6 the Kennedy Center; 

7 thence east along the north side of the Kennedy 

8 Center to a point where it reaches the E Street Ex9 pressway; 

10 thence east on the expressway to E Street 

11 Northwest and thence east on E Street Northwest to 

12 Eighteenth Street Northwest; 

13 thence south on Eighteenth Street Northwest to 

14 Constitution Avenue Northwest; 

15 thence east on Constitution Avenue to Seven16 teenth Street Northwest; 

17 thence north on Seventeenth Street Northwest 

18 to Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; 

19 thence east on Pennsylvania Avenue to Jackson 

20 Place Northwest; thence north on Jackson Place to 

21 H Street Northwest; 

22 thence east on H Street Northwest to Madison 

23 Place Northwest; 

24 thence south on Madison Place Northwest to 

25 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; 


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1 thence east on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest 

2 to Fifteenth Street Northwest; 

3 thence south on Fifteenth Street Northwest to 

4 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; 

5 thence southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue 

6 Northwest to John Marshall Place Northwest; 

7 thence north on John Marshall Place Northwest 

8 to C Street Northwest; 

9 thence east on C Street Northwest to Third 

10 Street Northwest; 

11 thence north on Third Street Northwest to D 

12 Street Northwest; 

13 thence east on D Street Northwest to Second 

14 Street Northwest; 

15 thence south on Second Street Northwest to the 

16 intersection of Constitution Avenue Northwest and 

17 Louisiana Avenue Northwest; 

18 thence northeast on Louisiana Avenue North19 west to North Capitol Street; 

20 thence north on North Capitol Street to Massa21 chusetts Avenue Northwest; 

22 thence southeast on Massachusetts Avenue 

23 Northwest so as to encompass Union Square; 

24 thence following Union Square to F Street 

25 Northeast; 


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1 thence east on F Street Northeast to Second 

2 Street Northeast; 

3 thence south on Second Street Northeast to D 

4 Street Northeast; 

5 thence west on D Street Northeast to First 

6 Street Northeast; 

7 thence south on First Street Northeast to 

8 Maryland Avenue Northeast; 

9 thence generally north and east on Maryland 

10 Avenue to Second Street Northeast; 

11 thence south on Second Street Northeast to C 

12 Street Southeast; 

13 thence west on C Street Southeast to New Jer14 sey Avenue Southeast; 

15 thence south on New Jersey Avenue Southeast 

16 to D Street Southeast; 

17 thence west on D Street Southeast to Wash18 ington Avenue Southwest; 

19 thence southeast on Washington Avenue South20 west to E Street Southeast; 

21 thence west on E Street Southeast to the inter22 section of Washington Avenue Southwest and South 

23 Capitol Street; 

24 thence northwest on Washington Avenue South25 west to Second Street Southwest; 


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1 thence south on Second Street Southwest to 

2 Virginia Avenue Southwest; 

3 thence generally west on Virginia Avenue to 

4 Third Street Southwest; 

5 thence north on Third Street Southwest to C 

6 Street Southwest; 

7 thence west on C Street Southwest to Sixth 

8 Street Southwest; 

9 thence north on Sixth Street Southwest to Inde10 pendence Avenue; 

11 thence west on Independence Avenue to Twelfth 

12 Street Southwest; 

13 thence south on Twelfth Street Southwest to D 

14 Street Southwest; 

15 thence west on D Street Southwest to Four16 teenth Street Southwest; 

17 thence south on Fourteenth Street Southwest to 

18 the middle of the Washington Channel; 

19 thence generally south and east along the 

20 midchannel of the Washington Channel to a point 

21 due west of the northern boundary line of Fort Les22 ley McNair; 

23 thence due east to the side of the Washington 

24 Channel; 


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1 thence following generally south and east along 

2 the side of the Washington Channel at the mean 

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

4 Anacostia River, and along the northern shore at the 

5 mean high water mark to the northernmost point of 

6 the Eleventh Street Bridge; 

7 thence generally south and east along the 

8 northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge to the 

9 eastern shore of the Anacostia River; 

10 thence generally south and west along such 

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

12 confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers; 

13 thence generally south along the eastern shore 

14 at the mean high water mark of the Potomac River 

15 to the point where it meets the present southeastern 

16 boundary line of the District of Columbia; 

17 thence south and west along such southeastern 

18 boundary line to the point where it meets the 

19 present Virginia-District of Columbia boundary; and 

20 thence generally north and west up the Poto21 mac River along the present Virginia-District of Co22 lumbia boundary to the point of beginning. 

23 (c) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PROPERTY.— 

24 (1) STREETS AND SIDEWALKS BOUNDING

25 AREA.—After the admission of the State into the 


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1 Union, the District of Columbia shall be deemed to 

2 include any street (together with any sidewalk there3 of) bounding the District of Columbia. 

4 (2) EXCLUSION OF DISTRICT BUILDING.—Not5 withstanding any other provision of this section, the 

6 District of Columbia shall not be considered to in7 clude the District Building after the admission of 

8 the State into the Union. 

9 (3) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN MILITARY PROP10 ERTY.—After the admission of the State into the 

11 Union, the District of Columbia shall be deemed to 

12 include Fort Lesley McNair, the Washington Navy 

13 Yard, the Anacostia Naval Annex, the United States 

14 Naval Station, Bolling Air Force Base, and the 

15 Naval Research Laboratory. 

16 SEC. 113. CONTINUATION OF TITLE TO LANDS AND PROP17 ERTY. 

18 (a) CONTINUATION OF TITLE TO LANDS OF DIS19 TRICT OF COLUMBIA.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The State and its political 

21 subdivisions shall have and retain title or jurisdic22 tion for purposes of administration and maintenance 

23 to all property, real and personal, with respect to 

24 which title or jurisdiction for purposes of adminis25 tration and maintenance is held by the District of 


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1 Columbia on the day before the State is admitted 

2 into the Union. 

3 (2) CONVEYANCE OF INTEREST IN CERTAIN

4 BRIDGES AND TUNNELS.—On the day before the 

5 State is admitted into the Union, the District of Co6 lumbia shall convey to the United States any and all 

7 interest of the District of Columbia in any bridge or 

8 tunnel that will connect the Commonwealth of Vir9 ginia with the District of Columbia after the admis10 sion of the State into the Union. 

11 (b) CONTINUATION OF FEDERAL TITLE TO PROP12 ERTY IN STATE.—The United States shall have and retain 

13 title or jurisdiction for purposes of administration and 

14 maintenance to all property in the State with respect to 

15 which the United States holds title or jurisdiction on the 

16 day before the State is admitted into the Union. 

17 Subtitle C—General Provisions 

18 Relating to Laws of New Columbia 

19 SEC. 121. LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY OF STATE TO TAX 

20 FEDERAL PROPERTY. 

21 The State may not impose any taxes upon any lands 

22 or other property owned or acquired by the United States, 

23 except to the extent as Congress may permit. 


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1 SEC. 122. EFFECT OF ADMISSION OF STATE ON CURRENT 

2 LAWS. 

3 (a) LEGISLATIVE POWER OF STATE.—The legislative 

4 power of the State shall extend to all rightful subjects of 

5 legislation within the State, consistent with the Constitu6 tion of the United States (including the restrictions and 

7 limitations imposed upon the States by article I, section 

8 10) and subject to the provisions of this Act. 

9 (b) TREATMENT OF FEDERAL LAWS.—To the extent 

10 that any law of the United States applies to the States 

11 generally, the law shall have the same force and effect 

12 within the State as elsewhere in the United States, except 

13 as such law may otherwise provide. 

14 SEC. 123. CONTINUATION OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS. 

15 (a) PENDING PROCEEDINGS.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—No writ, action, indictment, 

17 cause, or proceeding pending in any court of the 

18 District of Columbia or in the United States District 

19 Court for the District of Columbia shall abate by 

20 reason of the admission of the State into the Union, 

21 but shall be transferred and shall proceed within 

22 such appropriate State courts as shall be established 

23 under the State Constitution, or shall continue in 

24 the United States District Court for the District of 

25 Columbia, as the nature of the case may require. 


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1 (2) SUCCESSION OF COURTS.—The appropriate 

2 courts of the State shall be the successors of the 

3 courts of the District of Columbia as to all cases 

4 arising within the limits embraced within the juris5 diction of such courts, with full power to proceed 

6 with such cases, and award mesne or final process 

7 therein, and all files, records, indictments, and pro8 ceedings relating to any such writ, action, indict9 ment, cause, or proceeding shall be transferred to 

10 such appropriate State courts and shall be proceeded 

11 with therein in due course of law. 

12 (b) UNFILED PROCEEDINGS BASED ON ACTIONS

13 PRIOR TO ADMISSION.—All civil causes of action and all 

14 criminal offenses which shall have arisen or been com15 mitted prior to the admission of the State into the Union, 

16 but as to which no writ, action, indictment, or proceeding 

17 shall be pending at the date of such admission, shall be 

18 subject to prosecution in the appropriate State courts or 

19 in the United States District Court for the District of Co20 lumbia in like manner, to the same extent, and with like 

21 right of appellate review, as if the State had been admitted 

22 and such State courts had been established prior to the 

23 accrual of such causes of action or the commission of such 

24 offenses. 


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1 (c) MAINTENANCE OF RIGHTS TO AND JURISDICTION

2 OVER APPEALS.— 

3 (1) CASES DECIDED PRIOR TO ADMISSION.— 

4 Parties shall have the same rights of appeal from 

5 and appellate review of final decisions of the United 

6 States District Court for the District of Columbia or 

7 the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in any 

8 case finally decided prior to the admission of the 

9 State into the Union, whether or not an appeal 

10 therefrom shall have been perfected prior to such ad11 mission. The United States Court of Appeals for the 

12 District of Columbia Circuit and the Supreme Court 

13 of the United States shall have the same jurisdiction 

14 in such cases as by law provided prior to the admis15 sion of the State into the Union. 

16 (2) CASES DECIDED AFTER ADMISSION.—Par17 ties shall have the same rights of appeal from and 

18 appellate review of all orders, judgments, and de19 crees of the United States District Court for the 

20 District of Columbia and of the highest court of the 

21 State, as successor to the District of Columbia 

22 Court of Appeals, in any case pending at the time 

23 of admission of the State into the Union, and the 

24 United States Court of Appeals for the District of 

25 Columbia Circuit and the Supreme Court of the 


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1 United States shall have the same jurisdiction there2 in, as by law provided in any case arising subsequent 

3 to the admission of the State into the Union. 

4 (3) ISSUANCE OF SUBSEQUENT MANDATES.— 

5 Any mandate issued subsequent to the admission of 

6 the State shall be to the United States District 

7 Court for the District of Columbia or a court of the 

8 State, as appropriate. 

9 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO FED10 ERAL COURTS.—Effective upon the admission of the State 

11 into the Union— 

12 (1) section 41 of title 28, United States Code, 

13 is amended in the second column by inserting ‘‘, 

14 New Columbia’’ after ‘‘District of Columbia’’; and 

15 (2) the first paragraph of section 88 of title 28, 

16 United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

17 ‘‘The District of Columbia and the State of 

18 New Columbia comprise one judicial district.’’. 

19 SEC. 124. UNITED STATES NATIONALITY. 

20 No provision of this Act shall operate to confer 

21 United States nationality, to terminate nationality lawfully 

22 acquired, or to restore nationality terminated or lost under 

23 any law of the United States or under any treaty to which 

24 the United States is or was a party. 


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1 TITLE II—RESPONSIBILITIES 

2 AND INTERESTS OF FEDERAL 

3 GOVERNMENT 

4 SEC. 201. CONTINUATION OF REVISED DISTRICT OF CO5 LUMBIA AS SEAT OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 

6 After the admission of the State into the Union, the 

7 seat of the Government of the United States shall be the 

8 District of Columbia as described in section 112 (also 

9 known as ‘‘Washington, DC’’). 

10 SEC. 202. TREATMENT OF MILITARY LANDS. 

11 (a) RESERVATION OF FEDERAL AUTHORITY.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2) 

13 and subsection (b) and notwithstanding the admis14 sion of the State into the Union, authority is re15 served in the United States for the exercise by Con16 gress of the power of exclusive legislation in all cases 

17 whatsoever over such tracts or parcels of land lo18 cated within the State that, immediately prior to the 

19 admission of the State, are controlled or owned by 

20 the United States and held for defense or Coast 

21 Guard purposes. 

22 (2) LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY.—The power of 

23 exclusive legislation described in paragraph (1) shall 

24 vest and remain in the United States only so long 

25 as the particular tract or parcel of land involved is 


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1 controlled or owned by the United States and used 

2 for defense or Coast Guard purposes. 

3 (b) AUTHORITY OF STATE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The reservation of authority 

5 in the United States for the exercise by the Congress 

6 of the United States of the power of exclusive legis7 lation over military lands under subsection (a) shall 

8 not operate to prevent such lands from being a part 

9 of the State, or to prevent the State from exercising 

10 over or upon such lands, concurrently with the 

11 United States, any jurisdiction which it would have 

12 in the absence of such reservation of authority and 

13 which is consistent with the laws hereafter enacted 

14 by Congress pursuant to such reservation of author15 ity. 

16 (2) SERVICE OF PROCESS.—The State shall 

17 have the right to serve civil or criminal process with18 in such tracts or parcels of land in which the author19 ity of the United States is reserved under subsection 

20 (a) in suits or prosecutions for or on account of 

21 rights acquired, obligations incurred, or crimes com22 mitted within the State but outside of such tracts or 

23 parcels of land. 


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1 SEC. 203. WAIVER OF CLAIMS TO FEDERAL LANDS AND 

2 PROPERTY. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—As a compact with the United 

4 States, the State and its people disclaim all right and title 

5 to any lands or other property not granted or confirmed 

6 to the State or its political subdivisions by or under the 

7 authority of this Act, the right or title to which is held 

8 by the United States or subject to disposition by the 

9 United States. 

10 (b) EFFECT ON CLAIMS AGAINST UNITED STATES.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing contained in this 

12 Act shall recognize, deny, enlarge, impair, or other13 wise affect any claim against the United States, and 

14 any such claim shall be governed by applicable laws 

15 of the United States. 

16 (2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 

17 Act is intended or shall be construed as a finding, 

18 interpretation, or construction by the Congress that 

19 any applicable law authorizes, establishes, recog20 nizes, or confirms the validity or invalidity of any 

21 claim referred to in paragraph (1), and the deter22 mination of the applicability or effect of any law to 

23 any such claim shall be unaffected by anything in 

24 this Act. 


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1 SEC. 204. PERMITTING INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN NEW 

2 SEAT OF GOVERNMENT TO VOTE IN FEDERAL 

3 ELECTIONS IN STATE OF MOST RECENT 

4 DOMICILE. 

5 (a) REQUIREMENT FOR STATES TO PERMIT INDIVID6 UALS TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall— 

8 (A) permit absent District of Columbia 

9 voters to use absentee registration procedures 

10 and to vote by absentee ballot in general, spe11 cial, primary, and runoff elections for Federal 

12 office; and 

13 (B) accept and process, with respect to any 

14 general, special, primary, or runoff election for 

15 Federal office, any otherwise valid voter reg16 istration application from an absent District of 

17 Columbia voter, if the application is received by 

18 the appropriate State election official not less 

19 than 30 days before the election. 

20 (2) ABSENT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA VOTER DE21 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘absent District 

22 of Columbia voter’’ means, with respect to a State— 

23 (A) a person who resides in the District of 

24 Columbia after the admission of the State into 

25 the Union and is qualified to vote in the State, 

26 but only if the State is the last place in which 


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1 the person was domiciled before residing in the 

2 District of Columbia; or 

3 (B) a person who resides in the District of 

4 Columbia after the admission of the State into 

5 the Union and (but for such residence) would 

6 be qualified to vote in the State, but only if the 

7 State is the last place in which the person was 

8 domiciled before residing in the District of Co9 lumbia. 

10 (3) STATE DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

11 ‘‘State’’ means each of the several States, including 

12 the State of New Columbia. 

13 (b) RECOMMENDATIONS TO STATES TO MAXIMIZE

14 ACCESS TO POLLS BY ABSENT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

15 VOTERS.—To afford maximum access to the polls by ab16 sent District of Columbia voters, it is recommended that 

17 the States— 

18 (1) waive registration requirements for absent 

19 District of Columbia voters who, by reason of resi20 dence in the District of Columbia, do not have an 

21 opportunity to register; 

22 (2) expedite processing of balloting materials 

23 with respect to such individuals; and 

24 (3) assure that absentee ballots are mailed to 

25 such individuals at the earliest opportunity. 


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1 (c) ENFORCEMENT.—The Attorney General may 

2 bring a civil action in appropriate district court for such 

3 declaratory or injunctive relief as may be necessary to 

4 carry out this section. 

5 (d) EFFECT ON CERTAIN OTHER LAWS.—The exer6 cise of any right under this section shall not affect, for 

7 purposes of any Federal, State, or local tax, the residence 

8 or domicile of a person exercising such right. 

9 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 

10 upon the date of the admission of the State into the 

11 Union, and shall apply with respect to elections for Fed12 eral office taking place on or after such date. 

13 SEC. 205. REPEAL OF LAW PROVIDING FOR PARTICIPATION 

14 OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN ELECTION OF 

15 PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 3, United States Code, is 

17 amended by striking section 21. 

18 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

19 subsection (a) shall take effect upon the date of the admis20 sion of the State into the Union, and shall apply to any 

21 election of the President and Vice President of the United 

22 States taking place on or after such date. 


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1 SEC. 206. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF CONSTITU2 TIONAL AMENDMENT. 

3 (a) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—This 

4 section is enacted by Congress— 

5 (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

6 the Senate and the House of Representatives, re7 spectively, and as such these provisions are deemed 

8 a part of the rule of each House, respectively, but 

9 applicable only with respect to the procedure to be 

10 followed in that House in the case of a joint resolu11 tion described in subsection (b), and they supersede 

12 other rules only to the extent that they are incon13 sistent therewith; and 

14 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

15 right of either House to change the rule (so far as 

16 relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 

17 in the same manner and to the same extent as in 

18 the case of any other rule of that House. 

19 (b) EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF REPEAL OF

20 23RD AMENDMENT.— 

21 (1) MOTION MADE IN ORDER.—At any time 

22 after the date of the enactment of this Act, it shall 

23 be in order in either the House of Representatives 

24 or the Senate to offer a motion to proceed to the 

25 consideration of a joint resolution proposing an 

26 amendment to the Constitution of the United States 


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1 repealing the 23rd article of amendment to the Con2 stitution. 

3 (2) PROCEDURES RELATING TO MOTION.—With 

4 respect to the motion described in paragraph (1), 

5 the following rules shall apply: 

6 (A) The motion is highly privileged and is 

7 not debatable. 

8 (B) An amendment to the motion is not in 

9 order, and it is not in order to move to recon10 sider the vote by which the motion is agreed to 

11 or disagreed to. 

12 (C) A motion to postpone shall be decided 

13 without debate. 

14 TITLE III—GENERAL 

15 PROVISIONS 

16 SEC. 301. GENERAL DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act, the following definitions shall apply: 

18 (1) The term ‘‘Council’’ means the Council of 

19 the District of Columbia. 

20 (2) The term ‘‘Governor’’ means the Governor 

21 of the State of New Columbia. 

22 (3) The term ‘‘Mayor’’ means the Mayor of the 

23 District of Columbia. 

24 (4) The term ‘‘State Constitution’’ means the 

25 constitution of the State of New Columbia, as adoptVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:55 Dec 27, 2012 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3696.IS S3696

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1 ed by the Council of the District of Columbia in the 

2 Constitution for the State of New Columbia Ap3 proval Act of 1987 (DC Law 7–8). 

4 (5) Except as otherwise provided, the term 

5 ‘‘State’’ means the State of New Columbia. 

6 SEC. 302. CERTIFICATION OF ENACTMENT BY PRESIDENT. 

7 Not more than 60 days after the date of enactment 

8 of this Act, the President shall certify such enactment to 

9 the Mayor of the District of Columbia. 

Æ 


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