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District of Columbia Legislative Autonomy Act of 1998
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate congressional review of newly passed District laws.
Summary
This bill amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate Congress's authority to review and disapprove laws passed by the District of Columbia Council. Under current law, Congress has a 30-day period to review and potentially block any newly enacted DC law before it takes effect. The bill removes this congressional review requirement and the process for Congress to pass resolutions of disapproval, giving the DC Council full legislative authority without federal oversight. The changes apply to all DC laws passed, signed, vetoed and repassed, or ratified by voters on or after October 1, 1998. The bill includes conforming amendments to remove references to the congressional review process from other sections of the Home Rule Act.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
Actions (5)
- Jun 17, 1998 Referred to the Subcommittee on District of Columbia. · house
- Jun 11, 1998 Referred to House Rules · house
- Jun 11, 1998 Referred to the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 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.
- Jun 11, 1998 Referred to House Government Reform · house
- Jun 11, 1998 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
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Similar bills (6)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 1998
Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 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 of 1998”.
(b) References in Act.—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. 1-233, D.C. 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.
(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) Section 303 (sec. 1-205, D.C. Code) is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking the second sentence; and
(B) by striking subsection (b) and redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (b) and (c).
(2) Section 404(e) (sec. 1-227(e), D.C. Code) is amended by striking “subject to the provisions of section 602(c)” each place it appears.
(3) Section 462 (sec. 47-322, D.C. Code) is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking “(a) The Council” and inserting “The Council”; and
(B) by striking subsections (b) and (c).
(4) Section 472(d) (sec. 47-328, D.C. Code) is amended by striking
“(1) Notwithstanding” and all that follows through “(2)”.
(5) Section 2(b)(1) of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter) (sec. 1-282(b)(1), D.C. Code) is amended by striking “the appropriate custodian” and all that follows through “portion of such act to”.
(6) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative and referendum) to title IV (the District Charter) (sec. 1-285, D.C. Code) is amended by striking “, and such act” and all that follows and inserting a period.
(7) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 (sec. 1-1320, D.C. Code)—
(A) in subsection (j)(2)—
(i) by striking “sections 404 and 602(c)” and inserting “section 404”, and
(ii) by striking the second sentence; and
(B) 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.”.
(d) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section 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; and
(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, 1998. <all>
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