I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 381
To provide for the retrocession of the District of Columbia to the State 
of Maryland, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 27, 2003
Mr. REGULA (for himself, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. 
HOBSON, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. KOLBE, and Mr. ROHR-
ABACHER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Government 
Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for the retrocession of the District of Columbia 
to the State of Maryland, 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-
Maryland Reunion Act’’.
SEC. 2. RETROCESSION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO 
MARYLAND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Upon the issuance of a proclama-
tion by the President under section 7 and except as pro-
vided in subsection (b), the territory ceded to Congress 
by the State of Maryland to serve as the District consti-
tuting the permanent seat of the Government of the 
United States is ceded and relinquished to the State of 
Maryland. 
(b) CONTINUATION OF FEDERAL CONTROL OVER 
NATIONAL CAPITAL SERVICE AREA.—Notwithstanding 
subsection (a), Congress shall continue to exercise exclu-
sive legislative authority and control over the District of 
Columbia, which shall consist of the National Capital 
Service Area described in section 4. 
SEC. 3. EFFECT ON JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS IN DISTRICT 
OF COLUMBIA. 
(a) CONTINUATION OF SUITS.—No writ, action, in-
dictment, cause, or proceeding pending in any court of the 
District of Columbia on the effective date of this Act shall 
abate as a result of the enactment of this Act, but shall 
be transferred and shall proceed within such appropriate 
court of the State of Maryland as established under the 
laws or constitution of the State of Maryland. 
(b) APPEALS.—An order or decision of any court of 
the District of Columbia for which no appeal has been filed
as of the effective date of this Act shall be considered an 
order or decision of a court of the State of Maryland for 
purposes of appeal from and appellate review of such order 
or decision in an appropriate court of the State of Mary-
land. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL CAPITAL SERVICE AREA. 
(a) DESCRIPTION.—The National Capital Service 
Area referred to in section 2(b) is comprised of the prin-
cipal Federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol 
Building, the United States Supreme Court Building, and 
the Federal executive, legislative, and judicial office build-
ings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building 
(but shall not include the District Building), and is more 
particularly described as the territory located within the 
following boundaries: 
Beginning at the point on the present Virginia-
District of Columbia boundary due west of the 
northernmost point of Theodore Roosevelt Island 
and running due east of the eastern shore of the Po-
tomac River; 
thence generally south along the shore at the 
mean high water mark to the northwest corner of 
the Kennedy Center;