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S 440
Introduced Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

BOWSER Act

To repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Introduced Feb 6, 2025

Latest action (Feb 6, 2025) Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Referred to
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Policy area
Government Operations and Politics
Legislative subjects (3)
District of ColumbiaIntergovernmental relationsState and local government operations

Summary

The bill repeals the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which has been in place since 1973 and established the District's current system of local self-governance, including an elected mayor and city council. The repeal becomes effective one year after the bill is enacted. The bill does not specify what system of governance would replace the current home rule structure after the repeal takes effect.

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)
2 cosponsors

Actions (2)
  1. Feb 6, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
  2. Feb 6, 2025 Introduced in Senate

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 5183 — District of Columbia Home Rule Improvement Act of 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 7006 — Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 5342 — Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 1 — An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14. (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 1077 — District of Columbia Local Funds Act, 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 1089 — BOWSER Act (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 356 — District of Columbia Prosecutor Home Rule Act (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 214 — District of Columbia Legislative Home Rule Act (shares 3 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • HR 1089 — BOWSER Act · Introduced Feb 6, 2025 · Cong. 119 81%
  • HR 4259 — National Capital Planning Commission District of Columbia Home Rule Act · Introduced Jun 30, 2025 · Cong. 119 64%
  • S 2246 — SOS Act of 2025 · Introduced Jul 10, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • S 2689 — District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act · Introduced Sep 2, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • S 2404 — A bill to subject emergency legislation enacted by the District of Columbia Council to expedited congressional disapproval procedures. · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HR 5092 — District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act · Introduced Sep 2, 2025 · Cong. 119 62%

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025

Mr. Lee (for himself, Mr. Scott of Florida, and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act” or the “BOWSER Act”.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOME RULE ACT.

Effective on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93-198; 87 Stat. 774) is repealed. <all>

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