[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1197 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1197

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to provide the District 
              of Columbia with autonomy over its budgets.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 18, 1999

  Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to provide the District 
              of Columbia with autonomy over its budgets.

    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 Budget Autonomy Act of 1999''.
    (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 (DC Code, sec. 47-304) is 
        amended by striking the third, fourth, and fifth sentences and 
        inserting the following: ``Except as provided in section 
        445A(b), section 467(d), section 471(c), section 472(d)(2), 
        section 475(e)(2), section 483(d), and subsections (f), (g), 
        and (h)(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), 475(e)(2), and 483(d), and subsections (f), (g)(3), 
        and (h)(3) of section 490 are each amended by striking ``fourth 
        sentence'' and inserting ``second sentence''.
            (B) Section 412(a) (DC 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) (DC Code, sec. 1-227(f)) 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 (DC Code, sec. 47-305) 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 (DC Code, sec. 47-313) 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) (DC Code, 
        sec. 47-302(8)) is amended by striking ``section 603(b)'' and 
        inserting ``section 603(a)''.
            (B) Section 445 (DC Code, sec. 47-304) is amended by 
        striking ``603(c)'' and inserting ``603(b)''.
            (C) Section 445A (DC Code, sec. 43-1691) is amended by 
        striking ``603(c)'' and inserting ``603(b)''.
            (D) Section 461(a)(1) (DC Code, sec. 47-321(a)) is amended 
        by striking ``section 603(b)'' and inserting ``section 
        603(a)''.
            (E) Section 475(b) (DC Code, sec. 47-330.1(b)) is amended 
        by striking ``section 603(b)'' and inserting ``section 
        603(a)''.
            (F) Section 487(a) (DC Code, sec. 43-1615(a)) is amended by 
        striking ``section 603(b)'' and inserting ``section 603(a)''.
            (G) Section 490(i) (DC Code, sec. 47-334(i)) 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, 1999.
                                 <all>