I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 960 

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

review of newly-passed District laws. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 10, 2009 

Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 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 2009’’. 

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 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

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

9 (A) Section 303 (sec. 1–203.03, D.C. Official Code) 

10 is amended— 

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

12 sentence; and 

13 (ii) by striking subsection (b) and redesig14 nating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 

15 (b) and (c). 

16 (B) Section 404(e) (sec. 1–204.04(3), D.C. Of17 ficial Code) is amended by striking ‘‘subject to the 

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

19 (C) Section 462 (sec. 1–204.62, D.C. Official 

20 Code) is amended— 

21 (i) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(a) The 

22 Council’’ and inserting ‘‘The Council’’; and 

23 (ii) by striking subsections (b) and (c). 

24 (D) Section 472(d) (sec. 1–204.72(d), D.C. Of25 ficial 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 (E) Section 475(e) (sec. 1–204.75(e), D.C. Of8 ficial 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 (2) OTHER LAWS.—(A) Section 2(b)(1) of 

16 Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative and ref17 erendum) to title IV (the District Charter) (sec. 1– 

18 204.102(b)(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended by 

19 striking ‘‘the appropriate custodian’’ and all that fol20 lows through ‘‘portion of such act to’’. 

21 (B) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to 

22 initiative and referendum) to title IV (the District 

23 Charter) (sec. 1–204.105, D.C. Official Code) is 

24 amended by striking ‘‘, and such act’’ and all that 

25 follows and inserting a period. 


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1 (C) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Elec2 tion Code of 1955 (sec. 1–1001.16, D.C. Official 

3 Code)— 

4 (i) in subsection (j)(2)— 

5 (I) by striking ‘‘sections 404 and 

6 602(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 404’’, and 

7 (II) by striking the second sentence; 

8 and 

9 (ii) in subsection (m)— 

10 (I) in the first sentence, by striking 

11 ‘‘the appropriate custodian’’ and all that 

12 follows through ‘‘parts of such act to’’, 

13 (II) by striking ‘‘is held. If, however, 

14 after’’ and inserting ‘‘is held unless, 

15 under’’, and 

16 (III) by striking ‘‘section, the act 

17 which’’ and all that follows and inserting 

18 ‘‘section.’’. 

19 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

20 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

21 respect to each act of the District of Columbia— 

22 (1) passed by the Council of the District of Co23 lumbia and signed by the Mayor of the District of 

24 Columbia; 


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

2 Council; 

3 (3) passed by the Council and allowed to be4 come effective by the Mayor without the Mayor’s sig5 nature; or 

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

7 to referendum, ratified by a majority of the reg8 istered qualified electors voting on the initiative or 

9 referendum, 

10 on or after October 1, 2009. 

Æ 


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