I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1198
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate Congressional
review of newly-passed District laws.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 18, 1999
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Government 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 of 1999’’.
(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
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 (DC Code, sec. 1–
233) 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
(DC Code, sec. 1–205) 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) (DC Code, sec. 1–227(e)) is
amended by striking ‘‘subject to the provisions of section
602(c)’’ each place it appears.
(3) Section 462 (DC Code, sec. 47–322) is
amended—
(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) (DC Code, sec. 47–328) is amend-
ed to read as follows:
‘‘(d) PAYMENTS
NOT
SUBJECT
TO
APPROPRIA-
TION.—The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not apply
to any amount obligated or expended by the District for
the payment of the principal of, interest on, or redemption
premium for any revenue anticipation note issued under
subsection (a).’’.
(5) Section 475(e) (DC Code, sec. 47–330.1(e)) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(e) PAYMENTS
NOT
SUBJECT
TO
APPROPRIA-
TION.—The fourth sentence of section 446 shall not apply
to any amount obligated 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.’’.
(6) Section 2(b)(1) of Amendment No. 1 (relating to
initiative and referendum) to title IV (the District Char-
ter) (DC Code, sec. 1–282(b)(1)) is amended by striking
‘‘the appropriate custodian’’ and all that follows through
‘‘portion of such act to’’.
(7) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initia-
tive and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter)
(DC Code, sec. 1–285) is amended by striking ‘‘, and such
act’’ and all that follows and inserting a period.
(8) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Election
Code of 1955 (DC Code, sec. 1–1320)—
(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,
6 1 onor after October 1, 1999. O eHR 1198 IH