A bill to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to provide the District of Columbia with autonomy over its budgets, and for other purposes.

Bill: 109-s-800
Sponsor: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2005-04-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Appropriations
Chief financial officers
City councils
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional veto
District of Columbia
Economics and Public Finance
Executive reorganization
Federal-local relations
Government procurement
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Item veto
Legislation
Legislative amendments
Local budgets
Local employees
Local finance
Local laws
Local officials
Mayors
Municipal home rule
Names
Recruiting of employees
Removal of officials
Senate rules and procedure
Taxicabs
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: 
District of Columbia Budget Autonomy Act of 2005 -Amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to provide that the District of Columbia budget passed by the Council of the District of Columbia shall be enacted without referral to the President or approval by the Congress, unless it is the budget for a fiscal year which is a control year. Prohibits the Mayor of the District during a control year from transmitting the budget, or amendments or supplements thereto, to the President until the completion of the budget procedures contained in this Act and the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995. 
 
Prohibits obligations or expenditures by District government officers and employees without the Council's approval or, in the case of a control year, congressional approval. 
Allows the Council to reenact provisions of any line-item veto by the Mayor in a budget Act without submitting such veto to the President, unless such item or provision is contained in a budget act for a control year. 
 
 
 
District of Columbia Independence of the Chief Financial Officer Act of 2005 - Amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to revise requirements for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and the CFO's duties and term of office. Changes the names of, and subordinates to the CFO, the following District government offices or department: (1) Office of Budget and Management to Office of Budget and Planning; (2) Department of Finance and Revenue to Office of Tax and Revenue; and (3) Office of Treasurer to Office of Finance and Treasury. Consolidates the Office of the Controller and the Office of Financial Information Services into the Office of Financial Operations and Systems. 
Establishes: (1) the Office of Revenue Analysis, headed by the Deputy CFO for the Office of Revenue Analysis; and (2) the Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Provides that employees of the CFO Office shall be appointed by, serve at the pleasure of, and act under the direction and control of the CFO as at-will employees not covered by the District of Columbia Merit Personnel Act of 1978. States that nothing in this Act, however, may be construed to prohibit the CFO from entering into a collective bargaining agreement governing such employees or personnel. 
Grants the CFO independent authority over legal personnel. 
Amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to require the CFO to carry out procurement of goods and services for the CFO Office through a procurement office or division that shall operate independently of, and shall not be governed by, the Office of Contracting and Procurement, or its successor office. 
Amends the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975 to require, except for emergency declaration, ceremonial, confirmation, and sense of the Council resolutions, all permanent bills and resolutions to be accompanied by a fiscal impact statement before final adoption by the Council. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3674-3675)
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Introduced in Senate