I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6866 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit the District 
of Columbia to establish the timing of special elections for local office 
in the District of Columbia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 19, 2023 
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
A BILL 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit 
the District of Columbia to establish the timing of special 
elections for local office in the District of Columbia. 
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 
Special Elections Home Rule Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TIMING OF SPECIAL ELECTIONS FOR LOCAL OF-
FICE IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 
(a) COUNCIL.— 
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(1) CHAIR.—The first sentence of section 
401(b)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule 
Act (sec. 1–204.01(b)(3), D.C. Official Code) is 
amended to read as follows: ‘‘To fill a vacancy in the 
Office of Chairman, the Board of Elections shall 
hold a special election in the District in accordance 
with such procedures, including procedures estab-
lishing the time of the election, as may be estab-
lished by law of the District of Columbia.’’. 
(2) MEMBERS
ELECTED
FROM
WARDS.—The 
first sentence of section 401(d)(1) of such Act (sec. 
1–204.01(d)(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended to 
read as follows: ‘‘In the event of a vacancy in the 
Council of a member elected from a ward, the Board 
of Elections shall hold a special election in the Dis-
trict in accordance with such procedures, including 
procedures establishing the time of the election, as 
may be established by law of the District of Colum-
bia.’’. 
(3) MEMBERS ELECTED AT-LARGE.—The sec-
ond sentence of section 401(d)(2) of such Act (sec. 
1–204.01(d)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘and such 
special election’’ and all that follows and inserting 
the following: ‘‘and such special election shall be 
held in accordance with such procedures, including 
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procedures establishing the time of the election, as 
may be established by law of the District of Colum-
bia.’’. 
(b) MAYOR.—The first sentence of section 421(c)(2) 
of such Act (sec. 1–204.21(c)(2), D.C. Official Code) is 
amended to read as follows: ‘‘To fill a vacancy in the Of-
fice of Mayor, the Board of Elections shall hold a special 
election in the District in accordance with such proce-
dures, including procedures establishing the time of the 
election, as may be established by law of the District of 
Columbia.’’. 
(c) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The first sentence of sec-
tion 435(b)(1) of such Act (sec. 1–204.35(b)(1), D.C. Of-
ficial Code) is amended by striking ‘‘the Board of Elec-
tions’’ and all that follows and inserting the following: 
‘‘the Board of Elections shall hold a special election in 
the District in accordance with such procedures, including 
procedures establishing the time of the election, as may 
be established by law of the District of Columbia.’’. 
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to vacancies occurring after the expiration of the 
one-year period which begins on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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