I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4445 

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to provide for a uniform 

60-day period for Congress to review laws of the District of Columbia 

before such laws may take effect, to permit Congress to use the authorities and procedures available under such Act for the consideration and 

enactment of resolutions of disapproval of laws of the District of Columbia to disapprove specific provisions of such laws, to clarify the expedited 

procedures available under such Act for the consideration of such resolutions of disapproval, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 

Mr. GOSAR (for himself, Mr. MEADOWS, and Mr. NORMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 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 provide for a uniform 60-day period for Congress to review 

laws of the District of Columbia before such laws may 

take effect, to permit Congress to use the authorities 

and procedures available under such Act for the consideration and enactment of resolutions of disapproval of laws 

of the District of Columbia to disapprove specific provisions of such laws, to clarify the expedited procedures 

available under such Act for the consideration of such 

resolutions of disapproval, and for other purposes. 


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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 Home Rule Improvement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The District of Columbia was granted lim9 ited autonomy in 1973 by Congress, who at the time 

10 did not wish to intervene in the day-to-day govern11 ance of the city. 

12 (2) This grant of limited autonomy by Congress 

13 may be revoked by Congress at any time. 

14 (3) Article 1, section 8, clause 17 of the United 

15 States Constitution provides Congress with the ex16 clusive jurisdiction over the District of Columbia. 

17 (4) This clause was included for specific rea18 sons, notably the fact that the operation of the seat 

19 of the Federal Government of the United States, 

20 whose laws affect approximately 330 million Ameri21 cans, should not be impeded by local ordinances, ac22 tions, or taxation. 

23 (5) The Framers of the Constitution had good 

24 reason for this concern, having witnessed the reluc25 tance of local authorities to police disorderly conduct 


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1 by protestors in June of 1783, conduct that forced 

2 the adjournment of the Congress and the flight of 

3 its members into neighboring States. 

4 (6) James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 43, 

5 ‘‘The indispensable necessity of compleat authority 

6 at the seat of Government carries its own evidence 

7 with it. It is a power exercised by every Legislature 

8 of the Union, I might say of the world, by virtue of 

9 its general supremacy. Without it, not only the pub10 lic authority might be insulted and its proceedings 

11 be interrupted, with impunity; but a dependence of 

12 the members of the general Government, on the 

13 State comprehending the seat of the Government for 

14 protection in the exercise of their duty, might bring 

15 on the national councils an imputation of awe or in16 fluence, equally dishonorable to the Government, and 

17 dissatisfactory to the other members of the confed18 eracy’’. 

19 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con20 gress that— 

21 (1) Congress is the proper, constitutionally 

22 mandated sovereign over the District of Columbia 

23 and that increasing congressional oversight of the 

24 District is a wise course, in particular improving the 

25 disapproval mechanisms of the District of Columbia 


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1 Home Rule Act to ensure that poor municipal ordi2 nances made by the congressionally provided, and 

3 congressionally revocable authority provided to Dis4 trict’s municipal government can be expeditiously 

5 overturned by Congress; 

6 (2) the District of Columbia should never be7 come a State; and 

8 (3) statehood for the District of Columbia 

9 would require a constitutional amendment. 

10 SEC. 3. UNIFORM 60-DAY CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW PERIOD 

11 FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LAWS. 

12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF 60-DAY PERIOD.—The sec13 ond sentence of section 602(c)(1) of the District of Colum14 bia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–206.02(c)(1), D.C. Official 

15 Code) is amended— 

16 (1) by striking ‘‘the 30-calendar-day period (ex17 cluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and any 

18 day on which neither House is in session because of 

19 an adjournment sine die, a recess of more than three 

20 days, or an adjournment of more than three days) 

21 beginning on the day such act is transmitted’’ and 

22 inserting the following: ‘‘the 60-day period (exclud23 ing days either House of Congress is adjourned for 

24 more than 3 days during a session of Congress) be25 ginning on the day such act is transmitted’’; and 


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1 (2) by striking ‘‘such 30-day period’’ each place 

2 it appears and inserting ‘‘such 60-day period’’. 

3 (b) ELIMINATION OF ALTERNATIVE PERIOD FOR

4 ACTS AFFECTING CRIMINAL LAWS.—Section 602(c) of 

5 such Act (sec. 1–206.02(c), D.C. Official Code) is amend6 ed— 

7 (1) by striking paragraph (2); and 

8 (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para9 graph (2). 

10 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZING USE OF RESOLUTIONS OF DIS11 APPROVAL TO DISAPPROVE PROVISIONS OF 

12 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LAWS. 

13 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The second sentence of sec14 tion 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act 

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

16 (1) by striking ‘‘such act shall take effect’’ and 

17 inserting ‘‘such act and each provision thereof’’; 

18 (2) by striking ‘‘a joint resolution disapproving 

19 such act’’ and inserting ‘‘a joint resolution dis20 approving such act or any provision thereof’’; 

21 (3) by striking ‘‘disapproving such an act’’ and 

22 inserting ‘‘disapproving such an act or any provision 

23 thereof’’; and 


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1 (4) by striking ‘‘to have repealed such act’’ and 

2 inserting ‘‘to have repealed such act or such provi3 sion (as the case may be)’’. 

4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO APPLI5 CATION OF EXPEDITED PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDER6 ATION OF RESOLUTIONS.—The third sentence of section 

7 602(c)(1) of such Act (sec. 1–206.02(c)(1), D.C. Official 

8 Code) is amended by striking ‘‘disapproving such act’’ and 

9 inserting ‘‘disapproving such act or any provision thereof’’. 

10 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Section 602(c)(1) of 

11 such Act (sec. 1–206.02(c)(1), D.C. Official Code) is 

12 amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: 

13 ‘‘The enactment of a resolution disapproving a provision 

14 of an act pursuant to this paragraph may not be construed 

15 to repeal any of the remaining provisions of the act.’’. 

16 SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF EXPEDITED PROCEDURES AP17 PLICABLE TO CONSIDERATION OF RESOLU18 TIONS OF DISAPPROVAL. 

19 (a) APPLICATION OF ALL PROCEDURES TO ALL RES20 OLUTIONS OF DISAPPROVAL.—The third sentence of sec21 tion 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act 

22 (sec. 1–206.02(c)(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended by 

23 striking ‘‘section 604, except subsections (d), (e), and (f) 

24 of such section,’’ and inserting ‘‘section 604’’. 


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1 (b) CLARIFICATION OF PROCEDURES.—Section 604 

2 of such Act (sec. 1–206.04, D.C. Official Code) is amend3 ed by striking subsections (c) through (j) and inserting 

4 the following: 

5 ‘‘(c) REFERRAL TO COMMITTEES.—A resolution with 

6 respect to Council action shall be referred to the Com7 mittee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Rep8 resentatives, or the Committee on Homeland Security and 

9 Governmental Affairs of the Senate, by the President of 

10 the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representa11 tives, as the case may be. 

12 ‘‘(d) PROCEDURES IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTA13 TIVES.—(1) In the House of Representatives, if the com14 mittee to which a resolution has been referred has not re15 ported it at the end of twenty calendar days after its intro16 duction, it is in order to move to discharge the committee 

17 from further consideration of any other resolution with re18 spect to the same Council action which has been referred 

19 to the committee. 

20 ‘‘(2) In the House, a motion to discharge may be 

21 made only by an individual favoring the resolution, is high22 ly privileged (except that it may not be made after the 

23 committee has reported a resolution with respect to the 

24 same action), and debate thereon shall be limited to not 

25 more than one hour, to be divided equally between those 


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1 favoring and those opposing the resolution. An amend2 ment to the motion is not in order, and it is not in order 

3 to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion is 

4 agreed to or disagreed to. 

5 ‘‘(3) In the House, if the motion to discharge is 

6 agreed to or disagreed to, the motion may not be renewed, 

7 nor may another motion to discharge the committee be 

8 made with respect to any other resolution with respect to 

9 the same action. 

10 ‘‘(4) In the House, when the committee has reported, 

11 or has been discharged from further consideration of, a 

12 resolution, it is at any time thereafter in order (even 

13 though a previous motion to the same effect has been dis14 agreed to) to move to proceed to the consideration of the 

15 resolution. The motion is highly privileged and is not de16 batable. An amendment to the motion is not in order, and 

17 it is not in order to move to reconsider the vote by which 

18 the motion is agreed to or disagreed to. 

19 ‘‘(5) In the House, debate on the resolution shall be 

20 limited to not more than ten hours, which shall be divided 

21 equally between those favoring and those opposing the res22 olution. A motion further to limit debate is not debatable. 

23 An amendment to, or motion to recommit, the resolution 

24 is not in order, and it is not in order to move to reconsider 


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1 the vote by which the resolution is agreed to or disagreed 

2 to. 

3 ‘‘(6) In the House, motions to postpone made with 

4 respect to the discharge from committee or the consider5 ation of a resolution, and motions to proceed to the consid6 eration of other business, shall be decided without debate. 

7 ‘‘(7) In the House, appeals from the decisions of the 

8 Chair relating to the application of the Rules of the House 

9 of Representatives to the procedure relating to a resolu10 tion shall be decided without debate. 

11 ‘‘(e) PROCEDURES IN SENATE.—(1) In the Senate, 

12 if the committee to which is referred a resolution described 

13 in subsection (b) has not reported such joint resolution 

14 (or an identical joint resolution) at the end of 20 calendar 

15 days after its introduction, such committee may be dis16 charged from further consideration of such joint resolution 

17 upon a written demand by any Member of the Senate, and 

18 such joint resolution shall be placed on the calendar. 

19 ‘‘(2)(A) In the Senate, when the committee to which 

20 a resolution is referred has reported, or when a committee 

21 is discharged (under paragraph (1)) from further consid22 eration of a resolution described in subsection (b), it is 

23 at any time thereafter in order (even though a previous 

24 motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) for a 

25 motion to proceed to the consideration of the resolution, 


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1 and all points of order against the resolution (and against 

2 consideration of the resolution) are waived. The motion 

3 is not subject to amendment, or to a motion to postpone, 

4 or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of other 

5 business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the 

6 motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. 

7 If a motion to proceed to the consideration of the resolu8 tion is agreed to, the resolution shall remain the unfin9 ished business of the Senate until disposed of. 

10 ‘‘(B) In the Senate, debate on the resolution, and on 

11 all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith, 

12 shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which shall 

13 be divided equally between those favoring and those oppos14 ing the resolution. A motion further to limit debate is in 

15 order and not debatable. An amendment to, or a motion 

16 to postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration 

17 of other business, or a motion to recommit the resolution 

18 is not in order. 

19 ‘‘(C) In the Senate, immediately following the conclu20 sion of the debate on a resolution described in subsection 

21 (b), and a single quorum call at the conclusion of the de22 bate if requested in accordance with the rules of the Sen23 ate, the vote on final passage of the resolution shall occur. 

24 ‘‘(D) Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating 

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1 dure relating to a resolution described in subsection (a) 

2 shall be decided without debate. 

3 ‘‘(3) In the Senate the procedure specified in para4 graph (1) or (2) shall not apply to the consideration of 

5 a resolution after the expiration of the 60 session days 

6 beginning with the date of the introduction of the joint 

7 resolution. 

8 ‘‘(f) COORDINATION BETWEEN HOUSES.—If, before 

9 the passage by one House of a resolution of that House 

10 described in subsection (b), that House receives from the 

11 other House a resolution described in subsection (b), then 

12 the following procedures shall apply: 

13 ‘‘(1) The resolution of the other House shall 

14 not be referred to a committee. 

15 ‘‘(2) Any Member of that House may at any 

16 time offer a motion to proceed to the consideration 

17 of the resolution of the other House, and such mo18 tion shall be considered in accordance with para19 graph (4) of subsection (d) (in the case of a motion 

20 in the House) or in accordance with paragraph (2) 

21 of subsection (e) (in the case of a motion in the Sen22 ate). 

23 ‘‘(3) With respect to a resolution described in 

24 subsection (a) of the House receiving the resolu25 tion— 


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1 ‘‘(A) the procedure in that House shall be 

2 the same as if no resolution had been received 

3 from the other House; but 

4 ‘‘(B) the vote on final passage shall be on 

5 the resolution of the other House.’’. 

6 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

7 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 

8 apply with respect to acts of the District of Columbia 

9 which are transmitted to Congress by the Council of the 

10 District of Columbia under section 602(c) of the District 

11 of Columbia Home Rule Act on or after the date of the 

12 enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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