Title: District of Columbia Legislative Autonomy Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
District of Columbia Legislative Autonomy Act
This bill eliminates congressional review of newly-passed District of Columbia laws.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 411 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 411

     To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate 
          congressional review of newly passed District laws.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 21, 2021

  Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Rules, 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 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate 
          congressional review of newly passed District laws.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES IN ACT.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``District of 
Columbia Legislative Autonomy Act''.
    (b) References in Act.--Except as may otherwise be provided, 
whenever in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an amendment 
to or repeal of a section or other provision, the reference shall be 
considered to be made to that section or other provision of the 
District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF NEWLY PASSED DISTRICT 
              LAWS.

    (a) In General.--Section 602 (sec. 1-206.02, D.C. Official Code) is 
amended by striking subsection (c).
    (b) Congressional Resolutions of Disapproval.--
            (1) In general.--The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is 
        amended by striking section 604 (sec. 1-206.04, D.C. Official 
        Code).
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents is amended 
        by striking the item relating to section 604.
            (3) Exercise of rulemaking power.--This subsection and the 
        amendments made by this subsection are enacted by Congress--
                    (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
                House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, 
                and as such they shall be considered as a part of the 
                rules of each House, respectively, or of that House to 
                which they specifically apply, and such rules shall 
                supersede other rules only to the extent that they are 
                inconsistent therewith; and
                    (B) with full recognition of the constitutional 
                right of either House to change such rules (so far as 
                relating to such House) at any time, in the same 
                manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any 
                other rule of such House.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) District of columbia home rule act.--(A) Section 303 
        (sec. 1-203.03, D.C. Official Code) is amended--
                    (i) in subsection (a), by striking the second 
                sentence; and
                    (ii) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating 
                subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c).
            (B) Section 404 (sec. 1-204.04, D.C. Official Code), as 
        amended by the Local Budget Autonomy Amendment Act of 2012, is 
        amended by striking ``subject to the provisions of section 
        602(c)'' each place it appears in subsections (e) and (f).
            (C) Section 446 (sec. 1-204.46, D.C. Official Code), as 
        amended by section 2(e) of the Local Budget Autonomy Amendment 
        Act of 2012, is amended--
                    (i) in the second sentence of subsection (a), by 
                striking ``pursuant to the procedure set forth in 
                section 602(c)'';
                    (ii) in subsection (c) in the matter preceding 
                paragraph (1), by striking ``section 472(d)(2)'' and 
                inserting ``section 472(d)'';
                    (iii) in subsection (c) in the matter preceding 
                paragraph (1), by striking ``section 475(e)(2)'' and 
                inserting ``section 475(e)''; and
                    (iv) in paragraph (1) of subsection (c), by 
                striking ``and has completed the review process under 
                section 602(c)(3)''.
            (D) Section 462 (sec. 1-204.62, D.C. Official Code) is 
        amended--
                    (i) in subsection (a), by striking ``(a) The 
                Council'' and inserting ``The Council''; and
                    (ii) by striking subsections (b) and (c).
            (E) Section 472(d) (sec. 1-204.72(d), D.C. Official Code), 
        as amended by section 2(h) of the Local Budget Autonomy 
        Amendment Act of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(d) Payments Not Subject to Appropriation.--Section 446(c) shall 
not apply to any amount obligated or expended by the District for the 
payment of the principal of, interest on, or redemption premium for any 
revenue anticipation note issued under subsection (a).''.
            (F) Section 475(e) (sec. 1-204.75(e), D.C. Official Code), 
        as amended by section 2(h) of the Local Budget Autonomy 
        Amendment Act of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(e) Payments Not Subject to Appropriation.--Section 446(c) shall 
not apply to any amount obligated or expended by the District for the 
payment of the principal of, interest on, or redemption premium for any 
revenue anticipation note issued under this section.''.
            (2) Other laws.--(A) Section 2(b)(1) of Amendment No. 1 
        (relating to initiative and referendum) to title IV (the 
        District Charter) (sec. 1-204.102(b)(1). D.C. Official Code) is 
        amended by striking ``the appropriate custodian'' and all that 
        follows through ``portion of such act to''.
            (B) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative 
        and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter) (sec. 1-
        204.105, D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``, and 
        such act'' and all that follows and inserting a period.
            (C) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Election Code of 
        1955 (sec. 1-1001.16, D.C. Official Code)--
                    (i) in subsection (j)(2)--
                            (I) by striking ``sections 404 and 602(c)'' 
                        and inserting ``section 404'', and
                            (II) by striking the second sentence; and
                    (ii) in subsection (m)--
                            (I) in the first sentence, by striking 
                        ``the appropriate custodian'' and all that 
                        follows through ``parts of such act to'',
                            (II) by striking ``is held. If, however, 
                        after'' and inserting ``is held unless, 
                        under'', and
                            (III) by striking ``section, the act 
                        which'' and all that follows and inserting 
                        ``section.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to each 
act of the District of Columbia--
            (1) passed by the Council of the District of Columbia and 
        signed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia;
            (2) vetoed by the Mayor and repassed by the Council;
            (3) passed by the Council and allowed to become effective 
        by the Mayor without the Mayor's signature; or
            (4) in the case of initiated acts and acts subject to 
        referendum, ratified by a majority of the registered qualified 
        electors voting on the initiative or referendum,
on or after October 1, 2021.
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