I
#
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 51
To provide for the admission of the State of New Columbia into the Union.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 4, 1995
Ms. NORTON (for herself and Mr. MINETA) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
A BILL
To provide for the admission of the State of New Columbia
into the Union.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘New Columbia Admission Act’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I—STATE OF NEW COLUMBIA
Subtitle A—Procedures for Admission
Sec. 101. Admission into the union.
Sec. 102. Process for admission.
Sec. 103. Election of officials of State.
•HR 51 IH1S
Sec. 104. Issuance of presidential proclamation.
Subtitle B—Description of New Columbia Territory
Sec. 111. Territories and boundaries of New Columbia.
Sec. 112. Description of District of Columbia after admission of State.
Sec. 113. Continuation of title to lands and property.
Subtitle C—General Provisions Relating to Laws of New Columbia
Sec. 121. Limitation on authority of State to tax Federal property.
Sec. 122. Effect of admission of State on current laws.
Sec. 123. Continuation of judicial proceedings.
Sec. 124. United States nationality.
TITLE II—RESPONSIBILITIES AND INTERESTS OF FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
Sec. 201. Continuation of revised District of Columbia as seat of Federal gov-
ernment.
Sec. 202. Treatment of military lands.
Sec. 203. Payment to State in lieu of tax.
Sec. 204. Waiver of claims to Federal lands and property.
Sec. 205. Preservation of scenic vistas.
Sec. 206. Permitting individuals residing in new seat of government to vote in
Federal elections in State of most recent domicile.
Sec. 207. Repeal of law providing for participation of District of Columbia in
election of President and Vice-President.
Sec. 208. Expedited consideration of constitutional amendment.
TITLE III—GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 301. General definitions.
Sec. 302. Certification of enactment by president.
Sec. 303. Statehood Transition Commission.
TITLE I—STATE OF NEW
COLUMBIA
Subtitle A—Procedures for
Admission
SEC. 101. ADMISSION INTO THE UNION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the provisions of this
Act, upon issuance of the proclamation required by section
104(b), the State of New Columbia is declared to be a
State of the United States of America, and is declared
•HR 51 IH1S
admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the other
States in all respects whatever.
(b) CONSTITUTION OF STATE.—The State Constitu-
tion shall always be republican in form and shall not be
repugnant to the Constitution of the United States and
the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
SEC. 102. PROCESS FOR ADMISSION.
(a) APPROVAL OF ADMISSION BY VOTERS OF DIS-
TRICT OF COLUMBIA.—
(1) ELECTION
PROCEDURES.—At an election
designated by proclamation of the Mayor, which may
be the primary or the general election held pursuant
to section 103(a), a general election, or a special
election, there shall be submitted to the electors
qualified to vote in such election the following propo-
sitions for adoption or rejection:
‘‘(A) New Columbia shall immediately be
admitted into the Union as a State.
‘‘(B) The proposed Constitution for the
State of New Columbia, as adopted by the
Council of the District of Columbia pursuant to
the Constitution for the State of New Columbia
Approval Act of 1987 (D.C. Law 7–8), shall be
deemed ratified and shall replace the Constitu-
•HR 51 IH1S
(1) ADOPTION OF PROPOSITIONS.—In the event
the propositions described in subsection (a) are
adopted in an election under such subsection by a
majority of the legal votes cast on such submis-
sion—
(A) the State Constitution shall be deemed
ratified; and
(B) the President shall issue a proclama-
tion pursuant to section 104.
(2) REJECTION OF PROPOSITION.—In the event
any one of the propositions described in subsection
(a) is not adopted in an election under such sub-
section by a majority of the legal votes cast on such
submission, the provisions of this Act shall cease to
be effective.
SEC. 103. ELECTION OF OFFICIALS OF STATE.
(a) ISSUANCE OF PROCLAMATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not more than 30 days after
receiving certification of the enactment of this Act
from the President pursuant to section 302, the
Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proc-
lamation for the first elections, subject to the provi-
sions of this section, for two Senators and one Rep-
resentative in Congress.
•HR 51 IH1S
(2) SPECIAL
RULE
FOR
ELECTION
OF
SEN-
ATORS.—In the election of Senators from the State
pursuant to paragraph (1), the 2 Senate offices shall
be separately identified and designated, and no per-
son may be a candidate for both offices. No such
identification or designation of either of the offices
shall refer to or be taken to refer to the terms of
such offices, or in any way impair the privilege of
the Senate to determine the class to which each of
the Senators elected shall be assigned.
(b) RULES FOR CONDUCTING ELECTION.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The proclamation of the
Mayor issued under subsection (a) shall provide for
the holding of a primary election and a general elec-
tion and at such elections the officers required to be
elected as provided in subsection (a) shall be chosen
by the qualified electors of the District of Columbia
in the manner required by law.
(2) CERTIFICATION OF RETURNS.—Election re-
turns shall be made and certified in the manner re-
quired by law, except that the Mayor shall also cer-
tify the results of such elections to the President of
the United States.
(c) ASSUMPTION OF DUTIES.—Upon the admission
of the State into the Union, the Senators and Representa-
•HR 51 IH1S
tive elected at the election described in subsection (a) shall
be entitled to be admitted to seats in Congress and to all
the rights and privileges of Senators and Representatives
of other States in the Congress of the United States.
(d) TRANSFER OF OFFICES OF MAYOR AND MEM-
BERS AND CHAIR OF COUNCIL.—Upon the admission of
the State into the Union, the Mayor, members of the
Council, and the Chair of the Council at the time of admis-
sion shall be deemed the Governor, members of the House
of Delegates, and the President of the House of Delegates
of the State, respectively, as provided by the State Con-
stitution and the laws of the State.
(e) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY AND DUTIES AND
JUDICIAL AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.—Upon the admis-
sion of the State into the Union, members of executive
and judicial offices of the District of Columbia shall be
deemed members of the respective executive and judicial
offices of the State, as provided by the State Constitution
and the laws of the State.
(f) SPECIAL RULE FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES MEMBERSHIP.—The State upon its admission into
the Union shall be entitled to one Representative until the
taking effect of the next reapportionment, and such Rep-
resentative shall be in addition to the membership of the
House of Representatives as now prescribed by law, except
•HR 51 IH1S
that such temporary increase in the membership shall not
operate to either increase or decrease the permanent mem-
bership of the House of Representatives or affect the basis
of apportionment for the Congress.
SEC. 104. ISSUANCE OF PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—If the President finds that the
propositions set forth in section 102(a) have been duly
adopted by the people of the State, the President, upon
certification of the returns of the election of the officers
required to be elected as provided in section 103(a), shall,
not later than 90 days after receiving such certification,
issue a proclamation announcing the results of such elec-
tions as so ascertained.
(b) ADMISSION OF STATE UPON ISSUANCE OF PROC-
LAMATION.—Upon the issuance of the proclamation by the
President under subsection (a), the State shall be deemed
admitted into the Union as provided in section 101.
Subtitle B—Description of New
Columbia Territory
SEC. 111. TERRITORIES AND BOUNDARIES OF NEW COLUM-
BIA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection
(b), the State shall consist of all of the territory of the
District of Columbia as of the date of the enactment of
•HR 51 IH1S
this Act, subject to the results of the technical survey con-
ducted under subsection (c).
(b) EXCLUSION OF PORTION OF DISTRICT OF CO-
LUMBIA REMAINING AS NATIONAL CAPITAL.—The terri-
tory of the State shall not include the area described in
section 112, which shall remain as the District of Colum-
bia for purposes of serving as the seat of the government
of the United States.
(c) TECHNICAL SURVEY.—Not later than 6 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President
(in consultation with the Chair of the National Capital
Planning Commission) shall conduct a technical survey of
the metes and bounds of the District of Columbia and of
the territory described in section 112(b).
SEC. 112. DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AFTER
ADMISSION OF STATE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the succeeding provi-
sions of this section, after the admission of the State into
the Union, the District of Columbia shall consist of the
property described in subsection (b) and shall include the
principal Federal monuments, the White House, the Cap-
itol Building, the United States Supreme Court Building,
and the Federal executive, legislative, and judicial office
buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol
Building.
•HR 51 IH1S
(b) 
SPECIFIC
DESCRIPTION
OF
METES
AND
BOUNDS.—After the admission of the State into the
Union, the specific metes and bounds of the District of
Columbia shall be as follows:
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 Ex-
pressway;
thence east on the expressway to E Street
Northwest and thence east on E Street Northwest to
Eighteenth 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 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest;
•HR 51 IH1S
thence east on Pennsylvania Avenue to Jackson
Place Northwest;
thence north on Jackson Place 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 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;
•HR 51 IH1S
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;
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
Maryland Avenue Northeast;
thence generally north and east on Maryland
Avenue to Second Street Northeast;
thence south on Second Street Northeast 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;
•HR 51 IH1S
thence west on D Street Southeast to Washing-
ton Avenue Southwest;
thence southeast on Washington Avenue South-
west to E Street Southeast;
thence west on E Street Southeast to the inter-
section of Washington Avenue Southwest and South
Capitol Street;
thence northwest on Washington Avenue South-
west to 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 north on Sixth Street Southwest to Inde-
pendence Avenue;
thence west on Independence Avenue 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;
•HR 51 IH1S
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
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 east along the
northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge to the
eastern shore of the Anacostia River;
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 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;
•HR 51 IH1S
thence south and west along such southeastern
boundary line to the point where it meets the
present Virginia-District of Columbia boundary; and
thence generally north and west up the Poto-
mac River along the present Virginia-District of Co-
lumbia boundary to the point of beginning.
(c) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PROPERTY.—
(1) STREETS
AND
SIDEWALKS
BOUNDING
AREA.—After the admission of the State into the
Union, the District of Columbia shall be deemed to
include any street (together with any sidewalk there-
of) bounding the District of Columbia.
(2) EXCLUSION OF DISTRICT BUILDING.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of this section, the
District of Columbia shall not be considered to in-
clude the District Building after the admission of
the State into the Union.
(3) INCLUSION
OF
CERTAIN
MILITARY
PROP-
ERTY.—After the admission of the State into the
Union, the District of Columbia shall be deemed to
include Fort Lesley McNair, the Washington Navy
Yard, the Anacostia Naval Annex, the United States
Naval Station, Bolling Air Force Base, and the
Naval Research Laboratory.
•HR 51 IH1S
the scenic easement taken by the Secretary of the Interior
under section 205.
Subtitle C—General Provisions
Relating to Laws of New Columbia
SEC. 121. LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY OF STATE TO TAX
FEDERAL PROPERTY.
The State may not impose any taxes upon any lands
or other property owned or acquired by the United States,
except to the extent as Congress may permit.
SEC. 122. EFFECT OF ADMISSION OF STATE ON CURRENT
LAWS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The admission of the State into
the Union shall not be construed to affect the applicability
to the State of any laws in effect in the District of Colum-
bia as of the date of admission, except as modified or
changed by this Act or by the State Constitution.
(b) TREATMENT OF FEDERAL LAWS.—All of the laws
of the United States shall have the same force and effect
within the State as elsewhere in the United States, except
as such laws may otherwise provide.
SEC. 123. CONTINUATION OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS.
(a) PENDING PROCEEDINGS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—No writ, action, indictment,
cause, or proceeding pending in any court of the
District of Columbia or in the United States District
•HR 51 IH1S
Court for the District of Columbia shall abate by
reason of the admission of the State into the Union,
but shall be transferred and shall proceed within
such appropriate State courts as shall be established
under the State Constitution, or shall continue in
the United States District Court for the District of
Columbia, as the nature of the case may require.
(2) SUCCESSION OF COURTS.—The appropriate
courts of the State shall be the successors of the
courts of the District of Columbia as to all cases
arising within the limits embraced within the juris-
diction of such courts, with full power to proceed
with such cases, and award mesne or final process
therein, and all files, records, indictments, and pro-
ceedings relating to any such writ, action, indict-
ment, cause, or proceeding shall be transferred to
such appropriate State courts and shall be proceeded
with therein in due course of law.
(b) UNFILED PROCEEDINGS BASED
ON ACTIONS
PRIOR TO ADMISSION.—All civil causes of action and all
criminal offenses which shall have arisen or been commit-
ted prior to the admission of the State into the Union,
but as to which no writ, action, indictment, or proceeding
shall be pending at the date of such admission, shall be
subject to prosecution in the appropriate State courts or
•HR 51 IH1S
in the United States District Court for the District of Co-
lumbia in like manner, to the same extent, and with like
right of appellate review, as if the State had been admitted
and such State courts had been established prior to the
accrual of such causes of action or the commission of such
offenses.
(c) MAINTENANCE OF RIGHTS TO AND JURISDICTION
OVER APPEALS.—
(1) CASES DECIDED PRIOR TO ADMISSION.—
Parties shall have the same rights of appeal from
and appellate review of final decisions of the United
States District Court for the District of Columbia or
the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in any
case finally decided prior to the admission of the
State into the Union, whether or not an appeal
therefrom shall have been perfected prior to such ad-
mission. The United States Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit and the Supreme Court
of the United States shall have the same jurisdiction
in such cases as by law provided prior to the admis-
sion of the State into the Union.
(2) CASES DECIDED AFTER ADMISSION.—Par-
ties shall have the same rights of appeal from and
appellate review of all orders, judgments, and de-
crees of the United States District Court for the
•HR 51 IH1S
District of Columbia and of the highest court of the
State, as successor to the District of Columbia
Court of Appeals, in any case pending at the time
of admission of the State into the Union, and the
United States Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit and the Supreme Court of the
United States shall have the same jurisdiction there-
in, as by law provided in any case arising subsequent
to the admission of the State into the Union.
(3) ISSUANCE OF SUBSEQUENT MANDATES.—
Any mandate issued subsequent to the admission of
the State shall be to the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia or a court of the
State, as appropriate.
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO FED-
ERAL COURTS.—Effective upon the admission of the State
into the Union—
(1) section 41 of title 28, United States Code,
is amended in the second column by inserting ‘‘,
New Columbia’’ after ‘‘District of Columbia’’; and
(2) the first paragraph of section 88 of title 28,
United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘The District of Columbia and the State of New
Columbia comprise one judicial district.’’.
•HR 51 IH1S
SEC. 124. UNITED STATES NATIONALITY.
No provision of this Act shall operate to confer Unit-
ed States nationality, to terminate nationality lawfully ac-
quired, or to restore nationality terminated or lost under
any law of the United States or under any treaty to which
the United States is or was a party.
TITLE 
II—RESPONSIBILITIES
AND INTERESTS OF FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
SEC. 201. CONTINUATION OF REVISED DISTRICT OF CO-
LUMBIA AS SEAT OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
After the admission of the State into the Union, the
seat of the Government of the United States shall be the
District of Columbia as described in section 112 (also
known as ‘‘Washington, D.C.’’).
SEC. 202. TREATMENT OF MILITARY LANDS.
(a) RESERVATION OF FEDERAL AUTHORITY.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2)
and subsection (b) and notwithstanding the admis-
sion of the State into the Union, authority is re-
served in the United States for the exercise by Con-
gress of the power of exclusive legislation in all cases
whatsoever over such tracts or parcels of land lo-
cated within the State that, immediately prior to the
admission of the State, are controlled or owned by
•HR 51 IH1S
(a) in suits or prosecutions for or on account of
rights acquired, obligations incurred, or crimes com-
mitted within the State but outside of such tracts or
parcels of land.
SEC. 203. PAYMENT TO STATE IN LIEU OF TAX.
In order to compensate the State for unavailable tax
revenues and other effects on the revenues of the State
resulting from the significant presence of the Federal Gov-
ernment within and nearby the State, the United States
shall make a payment to the State for each fiscal year
in such amount and under such schedule as Congress may
determine (taking into account the recommendations of
the Statehood Transition Commission under section 303).
SEC. 204. WAIVER OF CLAIMS TO FEDERAL LANDS AND
PROPERTY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—As a compact with the United
States, the State and its people disclaim all right and title
to any lands or other property not granted or confirmed
to the State or its political subdivisions by or under the
authority of this Act, the right or title to which is held
by the United States or subject to disposition by the
United States.
(b) EFFECT ON CLAIMS AGAINST UNITED STATES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing contained in this
Act shall recognize, deny, enlarge, impair, or other-
•HR 51 IH1S
wise affect any claim against the United States, and
any such claim shall be governed by applicable laws
of the United States.
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this
Act is intended or shall be construed as a finding,
interpretation, or construction by the Congress that
any applicable law authorizes, establishes, recog-
nizes, or confirms the validity or invalidity of any
claim referred to in paragraph (1), and the deter-
mination of the applicability or effect of any law to
any such claim shall be unaffected by anything in
this Act.
SEC. 205. PRESERVATION OF SCENIC VISTAS.
(a) SCENIC EASEMENT.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall take a scenic easement in the space above all
lots within the State (in accordance with such terms and
procedures as the Secretary of the Interior may establish,
including terms and procedures relating to the payment
of compensation towards the value of the easement taken),
and such scenic easement shall be reserved by the United
States. The scenic easement is described as follows:
(1) GENERAL RULE.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided in this subsection, the scenic easement shall be
in all space above a lot beginning at a height equal
to the sum of—
•HR 51 IH1S
(A) the width of the street, avenue, or
highway in front of the lot; and
(B) 20 feet.
(2) PROPERTY ON COMMERCIAL STREET.—With
respect to a lot on a business street, avenue, or high-
way, the scenic easement shall be in all space above
the lot beginning at a height equal to 130 feet above
the sidewalk of the street, avenue, or highway (or,
in the case of property on the north side of Penn-
sylvania Avenue between 1st and 15th Streets
Northwest, beginning 160 feet above the sidewalk).
(3) PROPERTY
ON
RESIDENTIAL
STREET.—
With respect to a lot on a residential street, avenue,
or highway, the scenic easement shall be in all space
above the lot beginning—
(A) in the case of a lot on a street, avenue,
or highway 60 feet wide or less, at a height
equal to the width of the street, avenue, or
highway;
(B) in the case of a lot on a street, avenue,
or highway more than 60 feet but less than 65
feet wide, at a height equal to 60 feet; and
(C) in the case of a lot on any other street,
avenue, or highway, at a height equal to the
lower of—
•HR 51 IH1S
(i) the width of the street, avenue, or
highway reduced by 10 feet, or
(ii) 90 feet.
(4) TREATMENT OF SPACE OVER CHURCHES.—
With respect to any lot on a residence street, ave-
nue, or highway upon which a church is located
(other than a church whose construction had not
been undertaken prior to June 1, 1910), the scenic
easement shall be in all space above the lot begin-
ning at a height equal to 95 feet above the level of
the adjacent curb.
(5) TREATMENT
OF
PLAZA
OF
UNION
STA-
TION.—With respect to any portion of any lot af-
fronting or abutting the plaza in front of Union Sta-
tion upon which a building is located (other than a
building erected prior to June 1, 1910), the scenic
easement shall be in all space above the lot begin-
ning at a height equal to 80 feet above the plaza.
(b) EFFECT OF SCENIC EASEMENT.—
(1) NO PHYSICAL STRUCTURES PERMITTED.—
Except as provided in paragraph (2), no person may
encroach upon any space in which the United States
has reserved a scenic easement pursuant to sub-
section (a) with a physical structure.
•HR 51 IH1S
(2) PERMISSIBLE ENCROACHMENT BY CERTAIN
STRUCTURES.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a
person may encroach upon a space in which the
United States has reserved a scenic easement pursu-
ant to subsection (a) with any of the following:
(A) A physical structure in existence on
the date on which the Secretary of the Interior
takes the easement.
(B) A spire, tower, dome, minaret, or pin-
nacle serving as an architectural embellishment.
(C) A penthouse over an elevator shaft,
ventilation shaft, chimney, smokestack, or fire
sprinkler tank, but only if—
(i) the structure is not used for
human occupancy; and
(ii) the structure is set back from the
exterior walls of the building upon which it
is located at a distance equal to its height
above the building’s roof.
(D) An antenna.
(E) Construction equipment.
(F) A flagpole.
(c) RULES FOR INTERPRETING HEIGHTS.—In deter-
mining the point at which a scenic easement in a lot begins
•HR 51 IH1S
for purposes of subsection (a), the following rules shall
apply:
(1) Height shall be measured from the level of
the sidewalk opposite the middle of the front of the
lot.
(2) Any height otherwise determined under
such subsection to be not greater than 60 feet may
be increased by the distance between the highest
point of any building located on the lot and the por-
tion of any parapet wall or balustrade of the build-
ing that extends over such highest point, but in no
case may any height be increased pursuant to this
paragraph by more than 4 feet.
(3) If a lot (including a corner lot) fronts an
intersection of 2 or more streets, avenues, or high-
ways, a height shall be determined by using the
width of the widest street, avenue, or highway in-
volved.
(4) In the case of a lot on a street less than 90
feet wide on which building lines have been estab-
lished, the width of the street shall be deemed to be
the distance between the lines.
(d) 
AUTHORITY
OF
STATE
TO
DESIGNATE
STREETS.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to
•HR 51 IH1S
affect the authority of the State to designate streets, ave-
nues, or highways as commercial or residential.
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The Secretary of the Interior
shall take the scenic easement described in this section
on the day before the State is admitted into the Union.
The scenic easement shall be reserved by the United
States on the date on which the State is admitted into
the Union.
SEC. 206. PERMITTING INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN NEW
SEAT OF GOVERNMENT TO VOTE IN FEDERAL
ELECTIONS IN STATE OF MOST RECENT
DOMICILE.
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR STATES TO PERMIT INDIVID-
UALS TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall—
(A) permit absent District of Columbia
voters to use absentee registration procedures
and to vote by absentee ballot in general, spe-
cial, primary, and runoff elections for Federal
office; and
(B) accept and process, with respect to any
general, special, primary, or runoff election for
Federal office, any otherwise valid voter reg-
istration application from an absent District of
Columbia voter, if the application is received by
•HR 51 IH1S
the appropriate State election official not less
than 30 days before the election.
(2) ABSENT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA VOTER DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘absent District
of Columbia voter’’ means, with respect to a State—
(A) a person who resides in the District of
Columbia after the admission of the State into
the Union and is qualified to vote in the State,
but only if the State is the last place in which
the person was domiciled before residing in the
District of Columbia; or
(B) a person who resides in the District of
Columbia after the admission of the State into
the Union and (but for such residence) would
be qualified to vote in the State, but only if the
State is the last place in which the person was
domiciled before residing in the District of
Columbia.
(3) STATE DEFINED.—In this section, the term
‘‘State’’ means each of the several States, including
the State of New Columbia.
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS TO STATES TO MAXIMIZE
ACCESS TO POLLS BY ABSENT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
VOTERS.—To afford maximum access to the polls by ab-
•HR 51 IH1S
sent District of Columbia voters, it is recommended that
the States—
(1) waive registration requirements for absent
District of Columbia voters who, by reason of resi-
dence in the District of Columbia, do not have an
opportunity to register;
(2) expedite processing of balloting materials
with respect to such individuals; and
(3) assure that absentee ballots are mailed to
such individuals at the earliest opportunity.
(c) ENFORCEMENT.—The Attorney General may
bring a civil action in appropriate district court for such
declaratory or injunctive relief as may be necessary to
carry out this section.
(d) EFFECT ON CERTAIN OTHER LAWS.—The exer-
cise of any right under this section shall not affect, for
purposes of any Federal, State, or local tax, the residence
or domicile of a person exercising such right.
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect
upon the date of the admission of the State into the
Union, and shall apply with respect to elections for Fed-
eral office taking place on or after such date.
•HR 51 IH1S
SEC. 207. REPEAL OF LAW PROVIDING FOR PARTICIPATION
OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN ELECTION OF
PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 3, United States Code, is
amended by striking section 21.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall take effect upon the date of the admis-
sion of the State into the Union, and shall apply to any
election of the President and Vice-President of the United
States taking place on or after such date.
SEC. 208. EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION OF CONSTITU-
TIONAL AMENDMENT.
(a) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—This
section is enacted by Congress—
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of
the Senate and the House of Representatives, re-
spectively, and as such these provisions are deemed
a part of the rule of each House, respectively, but
applicable only with respect to the procedure to be
followed in that House in the case of a joint resolu-
tion described in subsection (b), and they supersede
other rules only to the extent that they are inconsist-
ent therewith; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional
right of either House to change the rule (so far as
relating to the procedure of that House) at any time,
•HR 51 IH1S
in the same manner and to the same extent as in
the case of any other rule of that House.
(b) EXPEDITED CONSIDERATION
OF REPEAL
OF
23RD AMENDMENT.—
(1) MOTION
MADE
IN
ORDER.—At any time
after the date of the enactment of this Act, it shall
be in order in either the House of Representatives
or the Senate to offer a motion to proceed to the
consideration of a joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution of the United States
repealing the 23rd article of amendment to the Con-
stitution.
(2) PROCEDURES RELATING TO MOTION.—With
respect to the motion described in paragraph (1),
the following rules shall apply:
(A) The motion is highly privileged and is
not debatable.
(B) An amendment to the motion is not in
order, and it is not in order to move to recon-
sider the vote by which the motion is agreed to
or disagreed to.
(C) A motion to postpone shall be decided
without debate.