I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3920
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate Congressional
review of newly-passed District laws, to provide the District of Columbia
with autonomy over its budgets, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 20, 1998
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on Government Reform and Oversight, and in addition to the Com-
mittee 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 elimi-
nate Congressional review of newly-passed District laws,
to provide the District of Columbia with autonomy over
its budgets, 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 Legislative and Budget Autonomy
Act of 1998’’.
(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 Home Rule Act.
SEC. 2. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BUDGET AUTONOMY.
(a) ENACTMENT OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BUDG-
ET WITHOUT FURTHER CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 446 (sec. 47–304,
D.C. Code) is amended by striking the third, fourth,
and fifth sentences and inserting the following: ‘‘Ex-
cept as provided in section 467(d), section 471(c),
section 472(d)(2), section 483(d), and subsections
(f) and (g)(3) of section 490, no amount may be ob-
ligated or expended by any officer or employee of the
District of Columbia government unless such
amount has been approved by an act of the Council,
and then only in accordance with such authoriza-
tion.’’.
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(A) Sections
467(d), 471(c), 472(d)(2), and 483(d) and sub-
sections (f) and (g)(3) of section 490 are each
amended by striking ‘‘fourth sentence’’ and inserting
‘‘second sentence’’.
(1) FEDERAL AUTHORITY OVER BUDGET-MAK-
ING
PROCESS.—Section 603 (sec. 47–313, D.C.
Code) is amended—
(A) by striking subsections (a) and (d);
and
(B) by redesignating subsections (b), (c),
and (e) as subsections (a), (b), and (c).
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(A) Section
443(8) (sec. 47–302(8), D.C. Code) is amended by
striking ‘‘section 603(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘section
603(a)’’.
(B) Section 445 (sec. 47–304, D.C. Code) is
amended 
by 
striking 
‘‘603(c)’’ 
and 
inserting
‘‘603(b)’’.
(C) Section 461(a)(1) (sec. 47–321(a), D.C.
Code) is amended by striking ‘‘section 603(b)’’ and
inserting ‘‘section 603(a)’’.
(D) Section 487(a) (sec. 43–1615(a), D.C.
Code) is amended by striking ‘‘section 603(b)’’ and
inserting ‘‘section 603(a)’’.
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply to budgets of the District of Co-
lumbia for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1,
1998.
SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF
NEWLY-PASSED DISTRICT LAWS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 602 (sec. 1–233, D.C.
Code) is amended by striking subsection (c).
(b) 
CONGRESSIONAL
RESOLUTIONS
OF
DIS-
APPROVAL.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The District of Columbia
Home Rule Act is amended by striking section 604.
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents is amended by striking the item relating to sec-
tion 604.
(3) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—This
subsection and the amendments made by this sub-
section are enacted by Congress—
(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power
of the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate, respectively, and as such they shall be con-
sidered as a part of the rules of each House, re-
spectively, or of that House to which they spe-
cifically apply, and such rules shall supersede
other rules only to the extent that they are in-
consistent therewith; and
(B) with full recognition of the constitu-
tional 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 ex-
tent as in the case of any other rule of such
House.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 303
(sec. 1–205, D.C. Code) is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking the second
sentence; and
(B) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating
subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c).
(2) Section 404(e) (sec. 1–227(e), D.C. Code) is
amended by striking ‘‘subject to the provisions of section
602(c)’’ each place it appears.
(3) Section 462 (sec. 47–322, D.C. Code) is amend-
ed—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(a) The
Council’’ and inserting ‘‘The Council’’; and
(B) by striking subsections (b) and (c).
(4) Section 472(d) (sec. 47–328, D.C. Code) is
amended by striking ‘‘(1) Notwithstanding’’ and all that
follows through ‘‘(2)’’.
(5) Section 2(b)(1) of Amendment No. 1 (relating to
initiative and referendum) to title IV (the District Char-
ter) (sec. 1–282(b)(1), D.C. Code) is amended by striking
‘‘the appropriate custodian’’ and all that follows through
‘‘portion of such act to’’.
(6) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initia-
tive and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter)
(sec. 1–285, D.C. Code) is amended by striking ‘‘, and
such act’’ and all that follows and inserting a period.
(7) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Election
Code of 1955 (sec. 1–1320, D.C. Code)—
(A) in subsection (j)(2)—
(i) by striking ‘‘sections 404 and 602(c)’’
and inserting ‘‘section 404’’, and
(ii) by striking the second sentence; and
(B) in subsection (m)—
(i) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘the
appropriate custodian’’ and all that follows
through ‘‘parts of such act to’’,
(ii) by striking ‘‘is held. If, however, after’’
and inserting ‘‘is held unless, under’’, and
(iii) by striking ‘‘section, the act which’’
and all that follows and inserting ‘‘section.’’.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply with respect to each act of the Dis-
trict of Columbia—
(1) passed by the Council of the District of Co-
lumbia 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 be-
come effective by the Mayor without the Mayor’s sig-
nature; and
(4) in the case of initiated acts and acts subject
to referendum, ratified by a majority of the reg-
istered qualified electors voting on the initiative or
referendum,
on or after October 1, 1998.
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