I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5856 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to redesignate the Office 
of the Mayor of the District of Columbia as the Office of the Governor 
of the District of Columbia and to redesignate the Council of the District 
of Columbia as the Legislative Assembly of the District of Columbia, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 28, 2025 
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to redes-
ignate the Office of the Mayor of the District of Colum-
bia as the Office of the Governor of the District of 
Columbia and to redesignate the Council of the District 
of Columbia as the Legislative Assembly of 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘District of Columbia 
Government Title Equality Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION OF OFFICE OF MAYOR OF DIS-
TRICT OF COLUMBIA AS OFFICE OF GOV-
ERNOR OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 
(a) REDESIGNATION.—Section 421(a) of the District 
of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.21(a), D.C. Offi-
cial Code) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) There is established the Office of the Governor 
of the District of Columbia, and the Governor shall be 
elected by the registered qualified electors of the Dis-
trict.’’. 
(b) TREATMENT OF CURRENT MAYOR.—For pur-
poses of section 421(a) of the District of Columbia Home 
Rule Act, as amended by subsection (a), the individual 
holding the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia 
as of the date of the enactment of this Act shall be deemed 
to have been elected to the Office of Governor of the Dis-
trict of Columbia by the registered qualified electors of 
the District. 
(c) REFERENCES IN LAW.—Any reference to the Of-
fice of the Mayor of the District of Columbia in any law, 
rule, or regulation of the United States or the District 
of Columbia shall be deemed to refer to the Office of the 
Governor of the District of Columbia, and any reference 
to the Mayor of the District of Columbia in any law, rule, 
or regulation of the United States or the District of Co-
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lumbia shall be deemed to refer to the Governor of the 
District of Columbia. 
SEC. 3. REDESIGNATION OF COUNCIL OF DISTRICT OF CO-
LUMBIA AS LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF DIS-
TRICT OF COLUMBIA. 
(a) REDESIGNATION.—Section 401(a) of the District 
of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.01(a), D.C. Offi-
cial Code) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) There is established a Legislative Assembly of 
the District of Columbia, consisting of Representatives 
who shall be elected by the registered qualified electors 
of the District.’’. 
(b) TREATMENT OF CURRENT MEMBERS.—For pur-
poses of section 401(a) of the District of Columbia Home 
Rule Act, as amended by subsection (a), any individual 
holding the Office of Member of the Council of the District 
of Columbia as of the date of the enactment of this Act 
shall be deemed to have been elected to the Office of Rep-
resentative of the Legislative Assembly of the District of 
Columbia by the registered qualified electors of the Dis-
trict. 
(c) REFERENCES
IN LAW.—Any reference to the 
Council of the District of Columbia in any law, rule, or 
regulation of the United States or the District of Columbia 
shall be deemed to refer to the Legislative Assembly of 
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the District of Columbia, and any reference to a Member 
of the Council of the District of Columbia in any law, rule, 
or regulation of the United States or the District of Co-
lumbia shall be deemed to refer to a Representative of the 
Legislative Assembly of the District of Columbia. 
SEC. 4. REDESIGNATION OF CHAIR OF COUNCIL OF DIS-
TRICT OF COLUMBIA AS SPEAKER OF LEGIS-
LATIVE ASSEMBLY OF DISTRICT OF COLUM-
BIA. 
(a) REDESIGNATION.—Section 411(a) of the District 
of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.11(a) D.C. Offi-
cial Code) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the 
District of Columbia shall be the presiding officer of the 
Legislative Assembly.’’. 
(b) TREATMENT OF CURRENT CHAIR.—For purposes 
of section 411(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule 
Act, as amended by subsection (a), the individual holding 
the Office of Chair of the Council of the District of Colum-
bia as of the date of the enactment of this Act shall be 
deemed to have been elected to the Office of Speaker of 
the Legislative Assembly of the District of Columbia by 
the registered qualified electors of the District. 
(c) REFERENCES IN LAW.—Any reference to the Of-
fice of the Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia 
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in any law, rule, or regulation of the United States or the 
District of Columbia shall be deemed to refer to the Office 
of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the District 
of Columbia, and any reference to the Chair of the Council 
of the District of Columbia in any law, rule, or regulation 
of the United States or the District of Columbia shall be 
deemed to refer to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 
of the District of Columbia. 
Æ 
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