I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2472
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to provide the District 
of Columbia with autonomy over its budgets, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 16, 2003
Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia (for himself and Ms. NORTON) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform, 
and in addition to the Committees on Rules and Appropriations, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to pro-
vide the District of Columbia with autonomy over its 
budgets, 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 
Budget Autonomy Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. ENACTMENT OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LOCAL 
BUDGET. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 446 of the District of Co-
lumbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.46, D.C. Official Code) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘ENACTMENT OF LOCAL BUDGET 
‘‘SEC. 446. (a) ADOPTION OF BUDGETS AND SUP-
PLEMENTS.—The Council, within 50 calendar days after 
receipt of the budget proposal from the Mayor, and after 
public hearing, shall by Act adopt the annual budget for 
the District of Columbia government. Any supplements 
thereto shall also be adopted by Act by the Council after 
public hearing. 
‘‘(b) TRANSMISSION TO PRESIDENT DURING CON-
TROL YEARS.—In the case of a budget for a fiscal year 
which is a control year, the budget so adopted shall be 
submitted by the Mayor to the President for transmission 
by him to the Congress, except that the Mayor shall not 
transmit any such budget, or amendments or supplements 
thereto, to the President until the completion of the budg-
et procedures contained in this Act and the District of 
Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management As-
sistance Act of 1995. 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITING
OBLIGATIONS
AND
EXPENDI-
TURES NOT AUTHORIZED UNDER BUDGET.—Except as 
provided in section 445A(b), section 467(d), section
471(c), section 472(d), section 475(e), section 483(d), and 
subsections (f), (g), (h)(3), and (i)(3) of section 490, no 
amount may be obligated or expended by any officer or 
employee of the District of Columbia government unless—
‘‘(1) such amount has been approved by an Act 
of the Council (and then only in accordance with 
such authorization) and a copy of such Act has been 
transmitted by the Chairman to the Congress; or 
‘‘(2) in the case of an amount obligated or ex-
pended during a control year, such amount has been 
approved by an Act of Congress (and then only in 
accordance with such authorization). 
‘‘(d) 
RESTRICTIONS
ON
REPROGRAMMING
OF 
AMOUNTS.—After the adoption of the annual budget for 
a fiscal year (beginning with the annual budget for fiscal 
year 1995), no reprogramming of amounts in the budget 
may occur unless the Mayor submits to the Council a re-
quest for such reprogramming and the Council approves 
the request, but only if any additional expenditures pro-
vided under such request for an activity are offset by re-
ductions in expenditures for another activity. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—In this part, the term ‘control 
year’ has the meaning given such term in section 305(4) 
of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and 
Management Assistance Act of 1995.’’.
(b) LENGTH OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW PERIOD 
FOR BUDGET ACTS.—Section 602(c) of such Act (sec. 1–
206.02(c), D.C. Official Code) is amended—
(1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs 
(2) and (4)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) In the case of any Act transmitted under the 
first sentence of paragraph (1) to which section 446 ap-
plies and for which the fiscal year involved is not a control 
year, such Act shall take effect upon the expiration of the 
30-calendar-day period beginning on the day such Act is 
transmitted, or upon the date prescribed by such Act, 
whichever is later, unless during such 30-day period, there 
has been enacted into law a joint resolution disapproving 
such Act. If such 30-day period expires on any day on 
which neither House is in session because of an adjourn-
ment sine die, a recess of more than three days, or an 
adjournment of more than three days, the period applica-
ble under the previous sentence shall be extended for 5 
additional days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holi-
days, and any day on which neither House is in session 
because of an adjournment sine die, a recess of more than 
three days, or an adjournment of more than three days).
In any case in which any such joint resolution dis-
approving such an Act has, within the applicable period, 
passed both Houses of Congress and has been transmitted 
to the President, such resolution, upon becoming law, sub-
sequent to the expiration of such period, shall be deemed 
to have repealed such Act, as of the date such resolution 
becomes law. The provisions of section 604 shall apply 
with respect to any joint resolution disapproving any Act 
pursuant to this paragraph.’’. 
(c) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—(1) 
Sections 
467(d), 471(c), 472(d)(2), 475(e)(2), and 483(d), and 
subsections (f), (g)(3), (h)(3), and (i)(3) of section 490 
of such Act are each amended by striking ‘‘The fourth 
sentence of section 446’’ and inserting ‘‘Section 446(c)’’. 
(2) The third sentence of section 412(a) of such Act 
(sec. 1–204.12(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘for a fiscal year which is a control year described 
in such section’’ after ‘‘section 446 applies’’. 
(3) Section 202(c)(2) of the District of Columbia Fi-
nancial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 
1995 (sec. 47–392.02(c)(2), D.C. Official Code) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘the first sentence of section 446’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 446(a)’’. 
(4) Section 202(d)(3)(A) of the District of Columbia 
Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act
of 1995 (sec. 47–392.02(d)(3)(A), D.C. Official Code) is 
amended by striking ‘‘the first sentence of section 446’’ 
and inserting ‘‘section 446(a)’’. 
(5) Section 11206 of the National Capital Revitaliza-
tion and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 (sec. 
24–106, D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ‘‘the 
fourth sentence of section 446’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
446(c)’’. 
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The item relating to 
section 446 in the table of contents of such Act is amended 
to read as follows:
‘‘Sec. 446. Enactment of local budget.’’.
SEC. 3. ACTION BY COUNCIL OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
ON LINE-ITEM VETOES BY MAYOR OF PROVI-
SIONS OF BUDGET ACTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 404(f) of the District of 
Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–204.4(f), D.C. Official 
Code) is amended by striking ‘‘transmitted by the Chair-
man to the President of the United States’’ both places 
it appears and inserting the following: ‘‘incorporated in 
such Act (or, in the case of an item or provision contained 
in a budget act for a control year, transmitted by the 
Chairman to the President)’’.