[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 552 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 552

   To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate all 
Federally-imposed mandates over the local budget process and financial 
 management of the District of Columbia and the borrowing of money by 
                       the District of Columbia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 27, 2015

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate all 
Federally-imposed mandates over the local budget process and financial 
 management of the District of Columbia and the borrowing of money by 
                       the District of Columbia.

    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 ``District of Columbia Budget Autonomy 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES OVER LOCAL BUDGET PROCESS AND 
              FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

    (a) Termination of Mandates.--
            (1) In general.--Part D of title IV of the District of 
        Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1--204.41 et seq., D.C. Official 
        Code) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        subpart:

              ``Subpart 3--Termination of Federal Mandates

                   ``termination of federal mandates

    ``Sec. 458.  (a) Budget and Financial Management Governed Under 
District Law.--Effective with respect to fiscal year 2016 and each 
succeeding fiscal year which is not a control year--
            ``(1) the provisions of subpart 1 and subpart 2 (other than 
        sections 445A, 449, 453(c), and 455) shall not apply; and
            ``(2) the process by which the District of Columbia 
        develops and enacts the budget for the District government for 
        a fiscal year, and the activities carried out with respect to 
        the financial management of the District government for a 
        fiscal year, shall be established under such laws as may be 
        enacted by the District (except that nothing in this subsection 
        may be construed to permit the District to waive the 
        application of any other provision of this Act to such budget 
        or such activities for the fiscal year).
    ``(b) Special Rule for Determination of Fiscal Year.--Section 441 
(relating to the fiscal year of the District) shall not apply with 
respect to fiscal year 2016 or any succeeding fiscal year, without 
regard to whether or not the fiscal year is a control year.
    ``(c) No Effect on Existing Obligations.--Nothing in this section 
may be construed to relieve the District of Columbia of any contractual 
or other financial obligations incurred by the District under a budget 
enacted for a fiscal year prior to fiscal year 2016.
    ``(d) No Effect on Other Provisions of Law.--Nothing in this 
section may be construed to waive the application of any provision of 
this Act with respect to the process and activities described in 
subsection (a)(2) for a fiscal year, other than the provisions which do 
not apply to the fiscal year pursuant to subsection (a)(1).''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act 
        is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to part D 
        of title IV the following:

              ``Subpart 3--Termination of Federal Mandates

``Sec. 458. Termination of Federal mandates.''.
    (b) Elimination of Congressional Review Period For Budget Acts.--
Section 602(c) of such Act (sec. 1-206.02(c), D.C. Official Code) is 
amended--
            (1) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (4)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4) In the case of any Act adopting the annual budget for the 
District of Columbia government for fiscal year 2016 or any succeeding 
fiscal year which is not a control year, such Act shall take effect 
upon the date prescribed by such Act.''.

SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF FEDERAL MANDATES OVER BORROWING OF MONEY.

    (a) Termination of Mandates.--
            (1) In general.--Part E of title IV of the District of 
        Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1--204.61 et seq., D.C. Official 
        Code) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        subpart:

              ``Subpart 6--Termination of Federal Mandates

                   ``termination of federal mandates

    ``Sec. 490A.  (a) Borrowing Governed Under District Law.--Except as 
provided in subsection (b), effective with respect to fiscal year 2016 
and each succeeding fiscal year which is not a control year--
            ``(1) the provisions of subparts 1 through 5 shall not 
        apply; and
            ``(2) the process and rules by which the District of 
        Columbia issues bonds or otherwise borrows money shall be 
        established under such laws as may be enacted by the District.
    ``(b) Exception for Certain Provisions.--Subsection (a) does not 
apply with respect to the following sections:
            ``(1) Section 482 (relating to the full faith and credit of 
        the District).
            ``(2) Section 484 (relating to the nonapplicability of the 
        full faith and credit of the United States).
            ``(3) Section 485 (relating to the tax treatment of bonds 
        and notes).
            ``(4) Section 486 (relating to legal investment in bonds 
        and notes).
            ``(5) Section 487 (relating to payments for sanitary sewage 
        water works, water pollution projects, and waste treatment 
        services).
            ``(6) Section 488 (relating to payments for reservoirs on 
        the Potomac River).
            ``(7) Section 489 (relating to contributions to the 
        Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority).
    ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed--
            ``(1) to relieve the District of Columbia of any obligation 
        incurred with respect to bonds or other forms of borrowing 
        issued prior to fiscal year 2016; or
            ``(2) to waive the application to the District of Columbia 
        of any other Federal law governing the borrowing of funds by 
        States or units of local government, including the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act 
        is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to part E 
        of title IV the following:

              ``Subpart 6--Termination of Federal Mandates

``Sec. 490A. Termination of Federal mandates.''.
    (b) Repeal of Cap on Amount of District Borrowing.--Section 603(b) 
of such Act (sec. 1--206.03(b), D.C. Official Code) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4) Paragraphs (1) through (3) shall not apply with respect to 
fiscal year 2016 or any succeeding fiscal year which is not a control 
year.''.

SEC. 4. REPEAL OF APPLICATION OF FEDERAL ANTI-DEFICIENCY ACT TO 
              DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT.

    (a) Repeal of Provisions Relating to Limitations on 
Appropriations.--Subchapter III of chapter 13 of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended by striking ``or of the District of Columbia 
government'' each place it appears in the following sections:
            (1) Section 1341(a)(1).
            (2) Section 1342.
            (3) Section 1349(a).
            (4) Section 1350.
            (5) Section 1351.
    (b) Repeal of Provisions Relating to Apportionment of 
Appropriations.--Subchapter II of chapter 15 of such title is amended 
by striking ``or of the District of Columbia government'' each place it 
appears in the following sections:
            (1) Section 1517(a).
            (2) Section 1517(b).
            (3) Section 1518.
            (4) Section 1519.
    (c) Other Conforming Amendments.--Such title is further amended as 
follows:
            (1) Section 1341 is amended by striking subsection (b).
            (2) Section 1351 is amended by striking ``or the Mayor of 
        the District of Columbia, as the case may be,''.
            (3) Section 1513(a) and section 1514(a) are each amended by 
        striking ``the United States International Trade Commission, or 
        the District of Columbia government'' and inserting ``or the 
        United States International Trade Commission''.
            (4) Section 1517(b) is amended by striking ``or the Mayor 
        of the District of Columbia, as the case may be,''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to fiscal year 2016 and each succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 5. OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO HOME RULE ACT RELATING TO 
              CHANGES IN FEDERAL ROLE IN BUDGET PROCESS.

    (a) Federal Authority Over Budget-Making Process.--Section 603(a) 
of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1-206.03, D.C. Official 
Code) is amended by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ``for a fiscal year which is a control year''.
    (b) Restrictions Applicable During Control Years.--Section 603(d) 
of such Act (sec. 1-206.03(d), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read 
as follows:
    ``(d) In the case of a fiscal year which is a control year, the 
Council may not approve, and the Mayor may not forward to the 
President, any budget which is not consistent with the financial plan 
and budget established for the fiscal year under subtitle A of title II 
of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management 
Assistance Act of 1995.''.
    (c) Definition.--Section 603(f) of such Act (sec. 1-206.03(f), D.C. 
Official Code) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(f) In this section, the term `control year' has the meaning 
given such term in section 305(4) of the District of Columbia Financial 
Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to fiscal year 2016 and each succeeding fiscal year.

SEC. 6. OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO FEDERALLY-AUTHORIZED 
              ADJUSTMENTS TO LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authority Granted by Federal Government To Increase Spending in 
Case of General Fund Surplus.--Section 816 of the Financial Services 
and General Government Appropriations Act, 2009 (sec. 47-369.01, D.C. 
Official Code), is amended by striking ``Beginning in fiscal year 2009 
and each fiscal year thereafter,'' and inserting the following: ``With 
respect to fiscal years 2009 through 2015 and any fiscal year 
thereafter which is a control year (as defined in section 305(4) of the 
District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance 
Act of 1995),''.
    (b) Authority Granted by Federal Government To Increase Spending in 
Case of Increased Revenue Collections.--Section 817(a) of such Act 
(sec. 47-369.02(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking 
``Beginning in fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year thereafter,'' and 
inserting the following: ``With respect to fiscal years 2009 through 
2015 and any fiscal year thereafter which is a control year (as defined 
in section 305(4) of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility 
and Management Assistance Act of 1995),''.
    (c) Authority Granted by Federal Government Regarding Use of 
Federally-Mandated Reserve Funds.--Section 818 of such Act (sec. 47-
369.03, D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``Beginning in 
fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year thereafter,'' and inserting the 
following: ``With respect to fiscal years 2009 through 2015 and any 
fiscal year thereafter which is a control year (as defined in section 
305(4) of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and 
Management Assistance Act of 1995),''.
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