[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1198 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1198

     To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate 
          Congressional review of newly-passed District laws.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 18, 1999

  Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Government Reform, 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 1999''.
    (b) References in Act.--Except as may otherwise be provided, 
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 (DC Code, sec. 1-233) 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 (DC Code, sec. 1-205) 
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) (DC Code, sec. 1-227(e)) is amended by striking 
``subject to the provisions of section 602(c)'' each place it appears.
    (3) Section 462 (DC Code, sec. 47-322) 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) (DC Code, sec. 47-328) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(d) Payments Not Subject to Appropriation.--The fourth sentence 
of section 446 shall not apply to any amount obligated or expended by 
the District for the payment of the principal of, interest on, or 
redemption premium for any revenue anticipation note issued under 
subsection (a).''.
    (5) Section 475(e) (DC Code, sec. 47-330.1(e)) is amended to read 
as follows:
    ``(e) Payments Not Subject to Appropriation.--The fourth sentence 
of section 446 shall not apply to any amount obligated or expended by 
the District for the payment of the principal of, interest on, or 
redemption premium for any revenue anticipation note issued under this 
section.''.
    (6) Section 2(b)(1) of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative and 
referendum) to title IV (the District Charter) (DC Code, sec. 1-
282(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``the appropriate custodian'' and all 
that follows through ``portion of such act to''.
    (7) Section 5 of Amendment No. 1 (relating to initiative and 
referendum) to title IV (the District Charter) (DC Code, sec. 1-285) is 
amended by striking ``, and such act'' and all that follows and 
inserting a period.
    (8) Section 16 of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 
(DC Code, sec. 1-1320)--
            (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, 1999.
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