[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3920 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3920

     To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate 
  Congressional review of newly-passed District laws, to provide the 
  District of Columbia with autonomy over its budgets, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 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, to provide the 
  District of Columbia with autonomy over its budgets, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 and Budget 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. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BUDGET AUTONOMY.

    (a) Enactment of District of Columbia Budget Without Further 
Congressional Approval.--
            (1) In general.--Section 446 (sec. 47-304, D.C. Code) is 
        amended by striking the third, fourth, and fifth sentences and 
        inserting the following: ``Except as provided in section 
        467(d), section 471(c), section 472(d)(2), section 483(d), and 
        subsections (f) and (g)(3) of section 490, no amount may be 
        obligated or expended by any officer or employee of the 
        District of Columbia government unless such amount has been 
        approved by an act of the Council, and then only in accordance 
        with such authorization.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--(A) Sections 467(d), 471(c), 
        472(d)(2), and 483(d) and subsections (f) and (g)(3) of section 
        490 are each amended by striking ``fourth sentence'' and 
        inserting ``second sentence''.
            (B) Section 412(a) (D.C. Code, sec. 1-229(a)) is amended by 
        striking ``(other than an act to which section 446 applies)''.
            (3) Clerical amendments.--(A) The heading of section 446 is 
        amended to read as follows:

                 ``enactment of budget by the council''

            (B) The item relating to section 446 in the table of 
        contents is amended to read as follows:

        ``Sec. 446. Enactment of budget by the Council.''.
    (b) Action by Council of District of Columbia on Budget Acts.--
Section 404(f) (sec. 1-227(f), D.C. Code) is amended by striking 
``transmitted by the Chairman to the President of the United States'' 
both places it appears and inserting ``incorporated in such Act''.
    (c) Permitting Employees To Be Hired if Position Authorized by Act 
of the Council.--Section 447 (sec. 47-305, D.C. Code) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Act of Congress'' and inserting ``act of 
        the Council'' both places it appears; and
            (2) by striking ``Acts of Congress'' and inserting ``acts 
        of the Council''.
    (d) Amendments to Limitations on Borrowing and Spending by the 
District To Reflect Changes in Budget Process.--
            (1) Federal authority over budget-making process.--Section 
        603 (sec. 47-313, D.C. Code) is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsections (a) and (d); and
                    (B) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (e) 
                as subsections (a), (b), and (c).
            (2) Conforming amendments.--(A) Section 443(8) (sec. 47-
        302(8), D.C. Code) is amended by striking ``section 603(b)'' 
        and inserting ``section 603(a)''.
            (B) Section 445 (sec. 47-304, D.C. Code) is amended by 
        striking ``603(c)'' and inserting ``603(b)''.
            (C) Section 461(a)(1) (sec. 47-321(a), D.C. Code) is 
        amended by striking ``section 603(b)'' and inserting ``section 
        603(a)''.
            (D) Section 487(a) (sec. 43-1615(a), D.C. Code) is amended 
        by striking ``section 603(b)'' and inserting ``section 
        603(a)''.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to budgets of the District of Columbia for fiscal years beginning 
on or after October 1, 1998.

SEC. 3. 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.
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