I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5778 
To preserve the independence of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer 
Authority. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 10, 2008 
Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform 
A BILL 
To preserve the independence of the District of Columbia 
Water and Sewer Authority. 
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 
Water and Sewer Authority Independence Preservation 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ENSURING INDEPENDENCE OF CHIEF FINANCIAL 
OFFICER OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATER 
AND SEWER AUTHORITY. 
(a) CLARIFICATION OF INAPPLICABILITY OF 2005 
OMNIBUS AUTHORIZATION PROVISION.—The District of 
Columbia Home Rule Act is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the section 424 added by 
section 202(a)(1) of the 2005 District of Columbia 
Omnibus Authorization Act (Public Law 109–356; 
120 Stat. 2036) as section 424a; and 
(2) in section 424a, as so redesignated, by add-
ing at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) INAPPLICABILITY TO WATER AND SEWER AU-
THORITY.—The authority of the Chief Financial Officer 
under this section does not apply to personnel of the Dis-
trict of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority established 
pursuant to the Water and Sewer Authority Establish-
ment and Department of Public Works Reorganization 
Act of 1996.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect as if included in the enact-
ment of the 2005 District of Columbia Omnibus Author-
ization Act. 
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SEC. 3. PRESERVING EXISTING INDEPENDENCE OF DIS-
TRICT OF COLUMBIA WATER AND SEWER AU-
THORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part F of title IV of the District 
of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.91 et seq., D.C. 
Official Code) is amended— 
(1) by amending the heading of such part to 
read as follows: ‘‘PART F—INDEPENDENT AGEN-
CIES AND AUTHORITIES’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, PERSONNEL, 
AND
PROCUREMENT
AUTHORITY
OF
DISTRICT
OF 
COLUMBIA WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY 
‘‘SEC. 496. (a) FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, PER-
SONNEL, 
AND
PROCUREMENT
AUTHORITY.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of this Act or any District 
of Columbia law, the financial management, personnel, 
and procurement functions and responsibilities of the Dis-
trict of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority shall be es-
tablished exclusively pursuant to rules and regulations 
adopted by its Board of Directors. Nothing in the previous 
sentence may be construed to affect the application to the 
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority of sec-
tions 445A, 451(d), 453(c), or 490(g). 
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‘‘(b) CONSISTENCY WITH EXISTING AUTHORIZING 
LAW.—The rules and regulations adopted by the Board 
of Directors of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer 
Authority to establish the financial management, per-
sonnel, and procurement functions and responsibilities of 
the Authority shall be consistent with the Water and 
Sewer Authority Establishment and Department of Public 
Works Reorganization Act of 1996, as such Act is in effect 
as of the date of the enactment of this section.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—(1) The table of con-
tents of such Act is amended by amending the item relat-
ing to part F of title IV to read as follows: 
‘‘PART F—INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AND AUTHORITIES’’. 
(2) The table of contents of such Act is further 
amended by adding at the end of the items relating to 
part F of title IV the following: 
‘‘Sec. 496. Independent financial management, personnel, and procurement au-
thority of District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority.’’. 
Æ 
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