I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 411 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate congressional 
review of newly passed District laws. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 21, 2021 
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 
eliminate congressional review of newly passed District laws. 
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 Autonomy Act’’. 
(b) REFERENCES IN ACT.—Except as may otherwise 
be provided, whenever in this Act an amendment is ex-
pressed in terms of an amendment to or repeal of a section 
or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be 
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made to that section or other provision of the District of 
Columbia Home Rule Act. 
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF 
NEWLY PASSED DISTRICT LAWS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 602 (sec. 1–206.02, D.C. 
Official 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 
(sec. 1–206.04, D.C. Official Code). 
(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 
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(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) 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 redesig-
nating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
(b) and (c). 
(B) Section 404 (sec. 1–204.04, D.C. Official 
Code), as amended by the Local Budget Autonomy 
Amendment Act of 2012, 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), as amended by section 2(e) of the Local 
Budget Autonomy Amendment Act of 2012, is 
amended— 
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(i) in the second sentence of subsection 
(a), by striking ‘‘pursuant to the procedure set 
forth in section 602(c)’’; 
(ii) in subsection (c) in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘section 
472(d)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 472(d)’’; 
(iii) in subsection (c) in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘section 
475(e)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 475(e)’’; and 
(iv) in paragraph (1) of subsection (c), by 
striking ‘‘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) (sec. 1–204.72(d), D.C. Of-
ficial Code), as amended by section 2(h) of the Local 
Budget Autonomy Amendment Act of 2012, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) PAYMENTS
NOT
SUBJECT
TO
APPROPRIA-
TION.—Section 446(c) shall not apply to any amount obli-
gated or expended by the District for the payment of the 
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principal of, interest on, or redemption premium for any 
revenue anticipation note issued under subsection (a).’’. 
(F) Section 475(e) (sec. 1–204.75(e), D.C. Of-
ficial Code), as amended by section 2(h) of the Local 
Budget Autonomy Amendment Act of 2012, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) PAYMENTS
NOT
SUBJECT
TO
APPROPRIA-
TION.—Section 446(c) shall not apply to any amount obli-
gated or expended by the District for the payment of the 
principal of, interest on, or redemption premium for any 
revenue anticipation note issued under this section.’’. 
(2) OTHER
LAWS.—(A) Section 2(b)(1) of 
Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative and ref-
erendum) 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 fol-
lows 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. 
(C) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Elec-
tion Code of 1955 (sec. 1–1001.16, D.C. Official 
Code)— 
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(i) in subsection (j)(2)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘sections 404 and 
602(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 404’’, and 
(II) by striking the second sentence; 
and 
(ii) 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.’’. 
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 Co-
lumbia and signed by the Mayor of the District of 
Columbia; 
(2) vetoed by the Mayor and repassed by the 
Council; 
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(3) passed by the Council and allowed to be-
come effective by the Mayor without the Mayor’s sig-
nature; or 
(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, 2021. 
Æ 
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