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106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 558
To provide for the retrocession of the District of Columbia to the State
of Maryland, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 3, 1999
Mr. REGULA (for himself and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Government Reform, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction 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
Retrocession 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-
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vided in subsection (b), the territory ceded to Congress
by the State of Maryland to serve as the District constitut-
ing 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
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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;
thence east along the north side of the Kennedy
Center to a point where it reaches the E Street
Expressway;
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thence east on the expressway to E Street
Northwest and thence east on E Street Northwest to
Nineteenth Street Northwest;
thence north on Nineteenth Street Northwest to
F Street Northwest;
thence east on F Street Northwest to Eight-
eenth Street Northwest;
thence south on Eighteenth Street Northwest to
Constitution Avenue Northwest;
thence east on Constitution Avenue to Seven-
teenth Street Northwest;
thence north on Seventeenth Street Northwest
to H Street Northwest;
thence east on H Street Northwest to Madison
Place Northwest;
thence south on Madison Place Northwest to
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest;
thence east on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
to Fifteenth Street Northwest;
thence south on Fifteenth Street Northwest to
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest;
thence southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue
Northwest to Tenth Street Northwest;
thence north on Tenth Street Northwest to E
Street Northwest;
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thence east on E Street Northwest to Ninth
Street Northwest;
thence south on Ninth Street Northwest to
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest;
thence southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue
Northwest to John Marshall Place Northwest;
thence north on John Marshall Place Northwest
to C Street Northwest;
thence east on C Street Northwest to Third
Street Northwest;
thence north on Third Street Northwest to D
Street Northwest;
thence east on D Street Northwest to Second
Street Northwest;
thence south on Second Street Northwest to the
intersection of Constitution Avenue Northwest and
Louisiana Avenue Northwest;
thence northeast on Louisiana Avenue North-
west to North Capitol Street;
thence north on North Capitol Street to Massa-
chusetts Avenue Northwest;
thence southeast on Massachusetts Avenue
Northwest so as to encompass Union Square;
thence following Union Square to F Street
Northeast;
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thence east on F Street Northeast to Second
Street Northeast;
thence south on Second Street Northeast to D
Street Northeast;
thence west on D Street Northeast to First
Street Northeast;
thence south on First Street Northeast to C
Street Northeast;
thence east on C Street Northeast to Third
Street Northeast;
thence south on Third Street Northeast to
Maryland Avenue Northeast;
thence south and west on Maryland Avenue
Northeast to Constitution Avenue Northeast;
thence west on Constitution Avenue Northeast
to First Street Northeast;
thence south on First Street Northeast to
Maryland Avenue Northeast;
thence generally north and east on Maryland
Avenue to Second Street Northeast;
thence south on Second Street Northeast to
East Capitol Street;
thence east on East Capitol Street to Third
Street Northeast;
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thence south on Third Street Northeast to
Independence Avenue Southeast;
thence west on Independence Avenue Southeast
to Second Street Southeast;
thence south on Second Street Southeast to C
Street Southeast;
thence west on C Street Southeast to New Jer-
sey Avenue Southeast;
thence south on New Jersey Avenue Southeast
to D Street Southeast;
thence west on D Street Southeast to Washing-
ton Avenue Southwest;
thence north and west on Washington Avenue
Southwest to the intersection of Independence Ave-
nue Southwest and Second Street Southwest;
thence south on Second Street Southwest to
Virginia Avenue Southwest;
thence generally west on Virginia Avenue to
Third Street Southwest;
thence north on Third Street Southwest to C
Street Southwest;
thence west on C Street Southwest to Sixth
Street Southwest;
thence south on Sixth Street Southwest to E
Street Southwest;
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thence west on E Street Southwest to Seventh
Street Southwest;
thence north on Seventh Street Southwest to
Maryland Avenue Southwest;
thence west on Maryland Avenue Southwest to
Ninth Street Southwest;
thence north on Ninth Street Southwest to
Independence Avenue Southwest;
thence west on Independence Avenue Southwest
to Twelfth Street Southwest;
thence south on Twelfth Street Southwest to D
Street Southwest;
thence west on D Street Southwest to Four-
teenth Street Southwest;
thence south on Fourteenth Street Southwest to
the middle of the Washington Channel;
thence generally south and east along the
midchannel of the Washington Channel to a point
due west of the northern boundary line of Fort Les-
ley McNair;
thence due east to the side of the Washington
Channel;
thence following generally south and east along
the side of the Washington Channel at the mean
high water mark, to the point of confluence with the
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Anacostia River, and along the northern shore at the
mean high water mark to the northernmost point of
the Eleventh Street Bridge;
thence generally south and west along such
shore at the mean high water mark to the point of
confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers;
thence generally south and east along the
northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge to the
eastern shore of the Anacostia River;
thence generally south along the eastern shore
at the mean high water mark of the Potomac River
to the point where it meets the present southeastern
boundary line of the District of Columbia;
thence south and west along such southeastern
boundary line to the point where it meets the
present Virginia-District of Columbia boundary;
thence generally north and west up the Poto-
mac River along the Virginia-District of Columbia
boundary to the point of beginning.
(b) STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.—The National Cap-
ital Service Area shall include any street (and sidewalk
thereof) that bounds such Area.
(c) AFFRONTING
OR ABUTTING FEDERAL REAL
PROPERTY.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The National Capital Serv-
ice Area shall include any Federal real property af-
fronting or abutting such Area as of the effective
date of this Act.
(2) PROPERTY
INCLUDED.—For purposes of
paragraph (1), Federal real property affronting or
abutting the National Capital Service Area shall—
(A) include the Department of Housing
and Urban Development Building, the Depart-
ment of Energy Building, Fort Lesley McNair,
the Washington Navy Yard, the Anacostia
Naval Annex, the United States Naval Station,
Bolling Air Force Base, and the Naval Re-
search Laboratory; and
(B) not include any portion of Rock Creek
Park, any portion of Anacostia Park east of the
northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge, or
any territory not located in the District of Co-
lumbia on the day before the date of the enact-
ment of this Act.
SEC. 5. TRANSITION PROVISIONS RELATING TO HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
(a) TEMPORARY INCREASE IN APPORTIONMENT.—
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(b) REPEAL OF LAWS PROVIDING FOR DELEGATE
FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.—Sections 202 and
204 of the District of Columbia Delegate Act (Public Law
91–405; sections 1–401 and 1–402, D.C. Code) are re-
pealed, and the provisions of law amended or repealed by
such sections are restored or revived as if such sections
had not been enacted.
SEC. 6. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.
No law or regulation which is in force on the effective
date of this Act shall be deemed amended or repealed by
this Act except to the extent specifically provided in this
Act, or to the extent that such law or regulation is incon-
sistent with this Act.
SEC. 7. PROCLAMATION REGARDING ACCEPTANCE OF RET-
ROCESSION BY MARYLAND.
Not later than 30 days after the State of Maryland
enacts legislation accepting the retrocession described in
section 2(a), the President shall issue a proclamation an-
nouncing such acceptance and declaring that the territory
ceded to Congress by the State of Maryland to serve as
the District constituting the permanent seat of the Gov-
ernment of the United States has been ceded back to the
State of Maryland.
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SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The provisions of this Act and the amendments made
by this Act shall take effect on the date the President
issues a proclamation under section 7 or the date of the
ratification of an amendment to the Constitution of the
United States repealing the twenty-third article of amend-
ment to the Constitution, whichever comes later.
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