I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1509
To amend the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reor-
ganization Act to permit certain tax revenues of the District of Columbia
to be pledged to pay debt service on obligations issued by an agency
or instrumentality of the District government to finance certain costs
of a downtown sports arena and convention center; to authorize such
agency or instrumentality of the District government to expend such
tax revenues without the requirement that such tax revenues be appro-
priated by the District of Columbia and the Congress; to provide that
the obligations issued by any such agency or instrumentality of the
District government shall not be considered general obligations of the
District of Columbia for purposes of calculating limitations on borrowing
and spending by the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 7, 1995
Ms. NORTON (by request) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
A BILL
To amend the District of Columbia Self-Government and
Governmental Reorganization Act to permit certain tax
revenues of the District of Columbia to be pledged to
pay debt service on obligations issued by an agency or
instrumentality of the District government to finance
certain costs of a downtown sports arena and convention
center; to authorize such agency or instrumentality of
the District government to expend such tax revenues
without the requirement that such tax revenues be appro-
priated by the District of Columbia and the Congress;
to provide that the obligations issued by any such agency
or instrumentality of the District government shall not
be considered general obligations of the District of Co-
lumbia for purposes of calculating limitations on borrow-
ing and spending by the District of Columbia, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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 Government Downtown Sports
Arena and Convention Center Financing Act of 1995’’.
(b) REFERENCES IN ACT.—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 Self-Government and
Governmental Reorganization Act.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE OBLIGATIONS FOR DOWN-
TOWN SPORTS ARENA AND CONVENTION
CENTER.
(a) AUTHORITY TO ISSUE OBLIGATIONS.—Section
490(a) (D.C. Code, sec. 47–334(a)) is amended by adding
at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(5)(A) An agency or instrumentality of the District
with the authority to issue by resolution bonds, notes or
other obligations hereby is authorized to issue such bonds,
notes or other obligations to borrow money to finance, to
refinance or to assist in the undertaking of the develop-
ment, construction, and operation of a downtown sports
and entertainment complex and convention center.
‘‘(B) Subject to subsection (c), any resolutions au-
thorizing the issuance of any bonds, notes or other obliga-
tions issued by such agency or instrumentality may pro-
vide for (i) the payment of such bond, note, or other obli-
gation from available revenues, including assets, property
or designated fees and taxes, and (ii) the securing of such
bond, note or other obligation by the mortgage of real
property or the creation of any security interest in avail-
able revenues, including assets, other property or des-
ignated fees and taxes.
‘‘(C) The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not
apply to—
‘‘(i) any amount (including the amount of any
accrued interest or premium) obligated or expended
from the proceeds of the sale of any revenue bond,
note, or other obligation issued under subparagraph
(A),
‘‘(ii) any amount obligated or expended for the
payment of the principal of, interest on, or any pre-
mium for any revenue bond, note, or other obligation
issued under subparagraph (A), and
‘‘(iii) any amount obligated or expended to se-
cure any revenue bond, note, or other obligation is-
sued under subparagraph (A).’’.
SEC. 3. SECURITY INTERESTS IN CERTAIN DISTRICT REVE-
NUES.
(a) AUTHORIZATION TO CREATE SECURITY INTER-
EST.—Section 467(a) (D.C. Code, sec. 47–326.1(a)) is
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a)(1)’’;
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(2) Revenue bonds or other obligations issued by an
agency or instrumentality of the District government pur-
suant to section 490(a)(5)(A) may create a security inter-
est in certain District revenues, including, but not limited
to, designated taxes or fees, as additional security for the
payment of such obligations.’’.
(b) OBLIGATION OF THE DISTRICT.—Section 490(c)
(D.C. Code, sec. 47–334(c)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(c) Except to the extent permitted by section
467(a)(2), any and all such revenue bonds, notes, or other
obligations shall not be general obligations of the District
and shall not be a pledge of or involve the faith and credit
or taxing power of the District, and shall not constitute
a debt of the District, and shall not constitute lending of
the public credit for private undertakings as contained in
section 602(a)(2).’’.
SEC. 4. NO APPROPRIATION NECESSARY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The fourth sentence of section
446 (D.C. Code, sec. 47–304) is amended to read as fol-
lows: ‘‘Except as provided in section 467(d), section
471(c), section 472(d)(2), section 483(d), and section
490(a)(5)(C), (f), and (g)(3), no amount may be obligated
or expended by any officer or employee of the District of
Columbia government unless such amount has been ap-
proved by Act of Congress, and then only according to
such Act.’’.
(b) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 467(d)
(D.C. Code, sec. 47–326.1(d)) is amended to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(d) The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not
apply to any obligation or expenditure of any District reve-
nues to secure any general obligation bond under sub-
section (a) or any revenue bond or other obligation under
subsection (e).’’.
SEC. 5. EXCLUSION OF PLEDGED REVENUES FROM ANNUAL
AGGREGATE LIMIT ON BONDS.
Section 
603(b)(3)(A) 
(D.C. 
Code, 
sec. 
47–
313(b)(3)(A)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or establishing a
security interest in such bonds’’ after ‘‘bonds’’.
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