I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1198

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

review of newly-passed District laws.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 18, 1999

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 1999’’.

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 (DC Code, sec. 1–

6 233) 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 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con12 tents is amended by striking the item relating to sec13 tion 604.

14 (3) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—This

15 subsection and the amendments made by this sub16 section are enacted by Congress—

17 (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power

18 of the House of Representatives and the Sen19 ate, respectively, and as such they shall be con20 sidered as a part of the rules of each House, re21 spectively, or of that House to which they spe22 cifically apply, and such rules shall supersede

23 other rules only to the extent that they are in24 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.—(1) Section 303

8 (DC Code, sec. 1–205) is amended—

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

10 sentence; and

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

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

13 (2) Section 404(e) (DC Code, sec. 1–227(e)) is

14 amended by striking ‘‘subject to the provisions of section

15 602(c)’’ each place it appears.

16 (3) Section 462 (DC Code, sec. 47–322) is

17 amended—

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

19 Council’’ and inserting ‘‘The Council’’; and

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

21 (4) Section 472(d) (DC Code, sec. 47–328) is amend22 ed to read as follows:

23 ‘‘(d) PAYMENTS NOT SUBJECT TO APPROPRIA24 TION.—The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not apply

25 to any amount obligated or expended by the District for
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1 the payment of the principal of, interest on, or redemption

2 premium for any revenue anticipation note issued under

3 subsection (a).’’.

4 (5) Section 475(e) (DC Code, sec. 47–330.1(e)) is

5 amended to read as follows:

6 ‘‘(e) PAYMENTS NOT SUBJECT TO APPROPRIA7 TION.—The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not apply

8 to any amount obligated or expended by the District for

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

10 premium for any revenue anticipation note issued under

11 this section.’’.

12 (6) Section 2(b)(1) of Amendment No. 1 (relating to

13 initiative and referendum) to title IV (the District Char14 ter) (DC Code, sec. 1–282(b)(1)) is amended by striking

15 ‘‘the appropriate custodian’’ and all that follows through

16 ‘‘portion of such act to’’.

17 (7) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initia18 tive and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter)

19 (DC Code, sec. 1–285) is amended by striking ‘‘, and such

20 act’’ and all that follows and inserting a period.

21 (8) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Election

22 Code of 1955 (DC Code, sec. 1–1320)—

23 (A) in subsection (j)(2)—

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

25 and inserting ‘‘section 404’’, and
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1 (ii) by striking the second sentence; and

2 (B) in subsection (m)—

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

4 appropriate custodian’’ and all that follows

5 through ‘‘parts of such act to’’,

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

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

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

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

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

11 this section shall apply with respect to each act of the Dis12 trict of Columbia—

13 (1) passed by the Council of the District of Co14 lumbia and signed by the Mayor of the District of

15 Columbia;

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

17 Council;

18 (3) passed by the Council and allowed to be19 come effective by the Mayor without the Mayor’s sig20 nature; and

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

22 to referendum, ratified by a majority of the reg23 istered qualified electors voting on the initiative or

24 referendum,
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1 on or after October 1, 1999.

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