District of Columbia Legislative Home Rule Act

Subjects: Government Operations and Politics, Congressional oversight, District of Columbia, Intergovernmental relations, Legislative rules and procedure, State and local government operations

Summary:  <p><b>District of Columbia Legislative Home Rule Act</b></p> <p> This bill eliminates the authority of Congress to nullify recently enacted laws of the District of Columbia (DC).</p> <p>Current law generally permits Congress to review and disapprove, through a joint resolution, measures enacted by the DC Council. If the President signs the resolution, the measure may not go into effect. The bill eliminates that congressional review process.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 268 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 268

     To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate 
          Congressional review of newly passed District laws.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 10, 2023

  Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES IN ACT.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``District of 
Columbia Legislative Home Rule Act''.
    (b) References in Act.--Except as may otherwise be provided, 
whenever in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an amendment 
to or repeal of a section or other provision, the reference shall be 
considered to be made to that section or other provision of the 
District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW PERIOD FOR DISTRICT OF 
              COLUMBIA ACTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 602 (sec. 1-206.02, D.C. Official Code) is 
amended by striking subsection (c).
    (b) Congressional Resolutions of Disapproval.--
            (1) In general.--Section 604 (sec. 1-206.04, D.C. Official 
        Code) is repealed.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents is amended 
        by striking the item relating to section 604.
            (3) Exercise of rulemaking power.--This subsection and the 
        amendments made by this subsection are enacted by Congress--
                    (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
                House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, 
                and as such they shall be considered as a part of the 
                rules of each House, respectively, or of that House to 
                which they specifically apply, and such rules shall 
                supersede other rules only to the extent that they are 
                inconsistent therewith; and
                    (B) with full recognition of the constitutional 
                right of either House to change such rules (so far as 
                relating to such House) at any time, in the same 
                manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any 
                other rule of such House.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) District of columbia home rule act.--(A) Section 303 
        (sec. 1-203.03, D.C. Official Code) is amended--
                    (i) in subsection (a), by striking the second 
                sentence; and
                    (ii) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating 
                subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c).
            (B) Section 404 (sec. 1-204.04, D.C. Official Code) is 
        amended by striking ``subject to the provisions of section 
        602(c)'' each place it appears in subsections (e) and (f).
            (C) Section 446 (sec. 1-204.46, D.C. Official Code) is 
        amended--
                    (i) in subsection (a), by striking the third 
                sentence; and
                    (ii) in paragraph (1) of subsection (c), by 
                striking ``and such act has been transmitted by the 
                Chairman to the Congress and has completed the review 
                process under section 602(c)(3)''.
            (D) Section 462 (sec. 1-204.62, D.C. Official Code) is 
        amended--
                    (i) in subsection (a), by striking ``(a) The 
                Council'' and inserting ``The Council''; and
                    (ii) by striking subsections (b) and (c).
            (E) Section 472(d)(1) (sec. 1-204.72(d)(1), D.C. Official 
        Code) is amended by striking ``Notwithstanding section 
        602(c)(1), any act of the Council'' and inserting ``Any act of 
        the Council''.
            (F) Section 475(e)(1) (sec. 1-204.75(e)(1), D.C. Official 
        Code) is amended by striking ``Notwithstanding section 
        602(c)(1), any act of the Council'' and inserting ``Any act of 
        the Council''.
            (2) Other laws.--(A) Section 2(b)(1) of Amendment No. 1 
        (relating to initiative and referendum) to title IV (the 
        District Charter) (sec. 1-204.102(b)(1), D.C. Official Code) is 
        amended by striking ``the appropriate custodian'' and all that 
        follows through ``portion of such act to''.
            (B) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative 
        and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter) (sec. 1-
        204.105, D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``, and 
        such act'' and all that follows and inserting a period.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to each 
act of the District of Columbia--
            (1) passed by the Council of the District of Columbia and 
        signed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia;
            (2) vetoed by the Mayor and repassed by the Council;
            (3) passed by the Council and allowed to become effective 
        by the Mayor without the Mayor's signature; or
            (4) in the case of initiated acts and acts subject to 
        referendum, ratified by a majority of the registered qualified 
        electors voting on the initiative or referendum,
on or after the first day of the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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