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SEC. 213. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING JURIS-
DICTION OF FEDERAL COURTS.
(a) AMOUNT
IN CONTROVERSY.—In an action to
which this title applies and which is brought under section
1332 of title 28, United States Code, the amount of non-
economic damages or punitive damages, and attorneys’
fees or costs, shall not be included in determining whether
the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of
$50,000.
(b) FEDERAL COURT JURISDICTION NOT ESTAB-
LISHED ON FEDERAL QUESTION GROUNDS.—Nothing in
this title shall be construed to establish any jurisdiction
in the district courts of the United States over District
of Columbia health care liability actions on the basis of
section 1331 or 1337 of title 28, United States Code.
Subtitle C—Effective Date
SEC. 221. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This title shall apply to any District of Columbia
health care liability action and to any District of Columbia
health care liability claim subject to an alternative dispute
resolution system, that is initiated on or after the date
of the enactment of this title, except that any such action
or claim arising from an injury occurring prior to such
date shall be governed by the applicable statute of limita-
tions provisions in effect at the time the injury occurred.
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TITLE III—DISTRICT OF COLUM-
BIA EDUCATION REFORM ACT
OF 1997
Subtitle A—Amendments to Dis-
trict of Columbia School Reform
Act of 1995
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘District of Columbia
Education Reform Amendments Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 302. GENERAL EFFECTIVE DATE.
Section 2003 of the District of Columbia School Re-
form Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–134; 110 Stat. 1321–
112; D.C. Code § 31–2851) is amended by striking ‘‘shall
be effective’’ and all that follows through the period at
the end and inserting ‘‘shall take effect on the date of
the enactment of this Act.’’.
SEC. 303. TIMETABLE FOR APPROVAL OF PUBLIC CHARTER
SCHOOL PETITIONS.
Section 2203(i)(2)(A) of the District of Columbia
School Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–134; 110
Stat. 3009–504; D.C. Code § 31–2853.13(i)(2)(A)) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(i) ANNUAL LIMIT.—Subject to sub-
paragraph (B) and clause (ii), during cal-
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endar year 1997, and during each subse-
quent calendar year, each eligible charter-
ing authority shall not approve more than
10 petitions to establish a public charter
school under this subtitle.
‘‘(ii) TIMETABLE.—Any petition ap-
proved under clause (i) shall be approved
during an application approval period that
terminates on April 1 of each year. Such
an approval period may commence before
or after January 1 of the calendar year in
which it terminates, except that any peti-
tion approved at any time during such an
approval period shall count, for purposes of
clause (i), against the total number of peti-
tions approved during the calendar year in
which the approval period terminates.’’.
SEC. 304. INCREASE IN PERMITTED NUMBER OF TRUSTEES
OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL.
Section 2205(a) of the District of Columbia School
Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–134; 110 Stat.
1321–122; D.C. Code § 31–2853.15(a)) is amended by
striking ‘‘7,’’ and inserting ‘‘15,’’.
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SEC. 305. LEASE TERMS FOR PERSONS OPERATING CHAR-
TER SCHOOLS.
(a) LEASING FORMER OR UNUSED PUBLIC SCHOOL
PROPERTIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2209(b)(1)(A) of the
District of Columbia School Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104–134; 110 Stat. 3009–505; D.C.
Code § 31–2853.19(b)(1)(A)) is amended to read as
follows:
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any
other provision of law relating to the disposition
of a facility or property described in subpara-
graph (C), the Mayor and the District of Co-
lumbia Government—
‘‘(i) subject to clause (ii), shall give
preference to an eligible applicant whose
petition to establish a public charter school
has been conditionally approved under sec-
tion 2203(d)(2), or a Board of Trustees,
with respect to the purchase of a facility or
property described in subparagraph (C), if
doing so will not result in a significant loss
of revenue that might be obtained from
other dispositions or uses of the facility or
property; and
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‘‘(ii) shall lease a facility or property
described in subparagraph (C), at an an-
nual rate of $1, to an eligible applicant
whose petition to establish a public charter
school has been conditionally approved
under section 2203(d)(2), or a Board of
Trustees, if—
‘‘(I) the eligible applicant or
Board of Trustees requests a lease
pursuant to this paragraph for the
purpose of operating the facility or
property as a public charter school
under this subtitle; and
‘‘(II) the facility or property is
not yet otherwise disposed of (by sale,
lease, or otherwise).’’.
(2) 
TERMINATION
OF
LEASE.—Section
2209(b)(1) of the District of Columbia School Re-
form Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–134; 110 Stat.
3009–505; 
D.C. 
Code 
§ 31–2853.19(b)(1)) 
is
amended—
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
subparagraph (C); and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following:
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‘‘(B) TERMINATION OF LEASE.—Any lease
entered into pursuant to this paragraph with
respect to a public charter school shall be
deemed to terminate—
‘‘(i) upon the denial of an application
to renew the charter granted to the school
under section 2212, or, in a case where ju-
dicial review of the denial is sought under
section 2212(d)(6), upon the entry of an
order, not subject to further review, up-
holding a decision to deny such an applica-
tion, whichever occurs later;
‘‘(ii) upon the revocation of the char-
ter granted to the school under section
2213, or, in a case where judicial review of
the revocation is sought under section
2213(c)(6), upon the entry of an order, not
subject to further review, upholding the
revocation, whichever occurs later; or
‘‘(iii) in the case of a lease to an eligi-
ble applicant whose petition to establish a
public charter school has been conditionally
approved under section 2203(d)(2), upon
the termination of such conditional ap-
proval by reason of the applicant’s failure
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Government shall lease a facility or property, at
an annual rate of $1, to an eligible applicant
whose petition to establish a public charter
school has been conditionally approved under
section 2203(d)(2), or a Board of Trustees, if—
‘‘(i) the facility or property is under
the jurisdiction of the Board of Education;
‘‘(ii) the eligible applicant or Board of
Trustees requests a lease pursuant to this
paragraph for the purpose of operating the
facility or property as a public charter
school under this subtitle; and
‘‘(iii) immediately prior to the date of
such request, the facility or property—
‘‘(I) was operated as a District of
Columbia public school, and the re-
quirements of section 2202(a) were
met; or
‘‘(II) was operated as a public
charter school under this subtitle.
‘‘(B) TERMINATION OF LEASE.—Any lease
entered into pursuant to this paragraph with
respect to a public charter school shall be
deemed to terminate—
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‘‘(i) upon the denial of an application
to renew the charter granted to the school
under section 2212, or, in a case where ju-
dicial review of the denial is sought under
section 2212(d)(6), upon the entry of an
order, not subject to further review, up-
holding a decision to deny such an applica-
tion, whichever occurs later;
‘‘(ii) upon the revocation of the char-
ter granted to the school under section
2213, or, in a case where judicial review of
the revocation is sought under section
2213(c)(6), upon the entry of an order, not
subject to further review, upholding the
revocation, whichever occurs later; or
‘‘(iii) in the case of a lease to an eligi-
ble applicant whose petition to establish a
public charter school has been conditionally
approved under section 2203(d)(2), upon
the termination of such conditional ap-
proval by reason of the applicant’s failure
timely to submit the identification and in-
formation 
described 
in 
section
2202(6)(B)(i).’’.
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(c) LEASING
CURRENT
PUBLIC
SCHOOL
PROP-
ERTIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2209(b)(2)(A) of the
District of Columbia School Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104–134; 110 Stat. 3009–506; D.C.
Code § 31–2853.19(b)(2)(A)) is amended to read as
follows:
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any
other provision of law relating to the disposition
of a facility or property described in subpara-
graph (C), but subject to paragraph (3), the
Mayor and the District of Columbia Govern-
ment shall lease a facility or property described
in subparagraph (C), at an annual rate of $1,
to an eligible applicant whose petition to estab-
lish a public charter school has been condi-
tionally approved under section 2203(d)(2), or
a Board of Trustees, if the eligible applicant or
Board of Trustees requests a lease pursuant to
this paragraph for the purpose of—
‘‘(i) operating the facility or property
as a public charter school under this sub-
title; or
‘‘(ii) using the facility or property for
a purpose directly related to the operation
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of a public charter school under this sub-
title.’’.
(2) 
TERMINATION
OF
LEASE.—Section
2209(b)(2) of the District of Columbia School Re-
form Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–134; 110 Stat.
3009–506; 
D.C. 
Code 
§ 31–2853.19(b)(2)) 
is
amended—
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
subparagraph (C); and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following:
‘‘(B) TERMINATION OF LEASE.—Any lease
entered into pursuant to this paragraph with
respect to a public charter school shall be
deemed to terminate—
‘‘(i) upon the denial of an application
to renew the charter granted to the school
under section 2212, or, in a case where ju-
dicial review of the denial is sought under
section 2212(d)(6), upon the entry of an
order, not subject to further review, up-
holding a decision to deny such an applica-
tion, whichever occurs later;
‘‘(ii) upon the revocation of the char-
ter granted to the school under section
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2213, or, in a case where judicial review of
the revocation is sought under section
2213(c)(6), upon the entry of an order, not
subject to further review, upholding the
revocation, whichever occurs later; or
‘‘(iii) in the case of a lease to an eligi-
ble applicant whose petition to establish a
public charter school has been conditionally
approved under section 2203(d)(2), upon
the termination of such conditional ap-
proval by reason of the applicant’s failure
timely to submit the identification and in-
formation 
described 
in 
section
2202(6)(B)(i).’’.
SEC. 306. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUB-
LIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD.
Section 2214(g) of the District of Columbia School
Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–134; 110 Stat.
1321–133; D.C. Code § 31–2853.24(g)) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘to the Board’’ after ‘‘appropriated’’.
SEC. 307. ADJUSTMENT OF ANNUAL PAYMENT FOR RESI-
DENTIAL SCHOOLS.
Section 2401(b)(3)(B) of the District of Columbia
School Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–134; 110