[House Report 118-479]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


118th Congress }                                               {   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session    }                                               {  118-479

======================================================================



 
  D.C. CRIMINAL REFORMS TO IMMEDIATELY MAKE EVERYONE SAFE ACT OF 2024

                                _______
                                

 April 30, 2024.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Comer, from the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                             MINORITY VIEWS

                        [To accompany H.R. 7530]

    The Committee on Oversight and Accountability, to whom was 
referred the bill (H.R. 7530) to limit youth offender status in 
the District of Columbia to individuals 18 years of age or 
younger, to direct the Attorney General of the District of 
Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website 
containing updated statistics on juvenile crime in the District 
of Columbia, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to 
prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting 
changes to existing criminal liability sentences, and for other 
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
with an amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do 
pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Summary and Purpose of Legislation...............................     3
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     4
Section-by-Section Analysis......................................     6
Legislative History..............................................     7
Committee Consideration..........................................     7
Roll Call Votes..................................................     7
Explanation of Amendments........................................    10
List of Related Committee Hearings...............................    10
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the 
  Committee......................................................    10
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............    10
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch.....................    10
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................    11
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings..............................    11
Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement.........................    11
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement...........................    11
Earmark Identification...........................................    11
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................    11
New Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost 
  Estimate.......................................................    11
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............    11
Minority Views...................................................    30

    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``D. C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately 
Make Everyone Safe Act of 2024'' or the ``DC CRIMES Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. YOUTH OFFENDERS.

  (a) Limiting Youth Offender Status in District of Columbia to 
Individuals 18 Years of Age or Younger.--Section 2(6) of the Youth 
Rehabilitation Act of 1985 (sec. 24-901(6), D.C. Official Code) is 
amended by striking ``24 years of age or younger'' and inserting ``18 
years of age or younger''.
  (b) Conforming Amendments.--
          (1) Repeal consideration of individuals 18 through 24 years 
        of age in strategic plan for facilities, treatment, and 
        services.--Section 3(a-1) of such Act (sec. 24-902(a-1), D.C. 
        Official Code) is amended by striking paragraph (3).
          (2) Community service for individuals under order of 
        probation.--Section 4(a)(2) of such Act (sec. 24-903(a)(2), 
        D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``15 to 24 years of 
        age'' and inserting ``15 to 18 years of age''.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF WEBSITE ON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
                    JUVENILE CRIME STATISTICS.

  (a) Establishment and Operation.--Subchapter I of chapter 23 of title 
16, District of Columbia Official Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section:

``Sec. 16-2340a. Website of updated statistics on juvenile crime

  ``(a) Establishment and Operation of Website.--The Attorney General 
of the District of Columbia shall establish and operate a publicly 
accessible website which contains data on juvenile crime in the 
District of Columbia, including each of the following statistical 
measures:
          ``(1) The total number of juveniles arrested each year.
          ``(2) The total number and percentage of juveniles arrested 
        each year, broken down by age, race, and sex.
          ``(3) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each year, 
        the total number and percentage arrested for petty crime, 
        including the following crimes:
                  ``(A) Vandalism.
                  ``(B) Theft.
                  ``(C) Shoplifting.
          ``(4) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each year, 
        the total number and percentage arrested for crime of violence 
        (as defined in section 23-1331(4)).
          ``(5) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each year, 
        the total number and percentage who were arrested for their 
        first offense.
          ``(6) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each year, 
        the total number and percentage who had been arrested 
        previously.
          ``(7) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each year who 
        had been arrested previously, the total number and percentage 
        of the number of arrests.
          ``(8) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each year, 
        the declination rate for prosecutions by the Office of the 
        Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
          ``(9) Of the total number of juveniles sentenced each year, 
        the number and percentage who were tried as adults.
          ``(10) Of the total number of juveniles prosecuted each year, 
        the number and percentage who were not sentenced, who were 
        sentenced to a misdemeanor, and who were sentenced to a felony.
          ``(11) Of the total number of juveniles sentenced each year, 
        the number and percentage of the length of time that will be 
        served in a correctional facility as provided by the sentence.
  ``(b) Updates.--The Attorney General shall update the information 
contained on the website on a monthly basis.
  ``(c) Maintaining Archive of Information.--The Attorney General shall 
ensure that the information contained on the website is archived 
appropriately to provide indefinite public access to historical data of 
juvenile arrests and prosecutions.
  ``(d) Format.--The Attorney General shall ensure that the information 
contained in the website, including historical data described in 
subsection (c), is available in a machine-readable format available for 
bulk download.
  ``(e) Prohibiting Disclosure of Personally Identifiable 
Information.--In carrying out this section, the Attorney General shall 
ensure that the website does not include any juvenile's personally 
identifiable information.
  ``(f) Definitions.--In this section--
          ``(1) the term `crime' has the meaning given the term 
        `offense' in section 23-1331(2); and
          ``(2) the term `juvenile' has the meaning given the term 
        `youth offender' in section 2(6) of the Youth Rehabilitation 
        Act of 1985 (sec. 24-901(6), D.C. Official Code).''.
  (b) Conforming Amendments Relating to Authorized Release of 
Information.--
          (1) Juvenile case records of family court.--Section 16-2331, 
        District of Columbia Official Code, is amended--
                  (A) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection 
                (j); and
                  (B) by inserting after subsection (h) the following 
                new subsection:
  ``(i) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, a person shall 
provide information contained in juvenile case records to the Attorney 
General for purposes of the website established and operated under 
section 16-2340a.''.
          (2) Juvenile social records of family court.--Section 16-
        2332, District of Columbia Official Code, is amended--
                  (A) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection 
                (i); and
                  (B) by inserting after subsection (g) the following 
                new subsection:
  ``(h) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, a person shall 
provide information contained in juvenile social records to the 
Attorney General for purposes of the website established and operated 
under section 16-2340a.''.
          (3) Police and other law enforcement records.--Section 16-
        2333, District of Columbia Official Code, is amended--
                  (A) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection 
                (h); and
                  (B) by inserting after subsection (f) the following 
                new subsection:
  ``(g) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a person shall 
provide information contained in law enforcement records and files 
concerning a child to the Attorney General for purposes of the website 
established and operated under section 16-2340a.''.
  (c) Effective Date.--The Attorney General of the District of Columbia 
shall establish the website under section 16-2341, District of Columbia 
Official Code, as added by subsection (a), not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITING COUNCIL FROM ENACTING CHANGES TO EXISTING CRIMINAL 
                    LIABILITY SENTENCES.

  Section 602(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1-
206.02(a), D.C. Official Code) is amended--
          (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph (9);
          (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (10) and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
          (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
          ``(11) enact any act, resolution, or rule to change any 
        criminal liability sentence in effect on the date of the 
        enactment of the DC CRIMES Act of 2024.''.

                   Summary and Purpose of Legislation

    H.R. 7530 asserts Congressional control over the District 
by prohibiting the D.C. Council from pursuing soft-on-crime 
sentencing policy. Specifically, the bill would lower D.C.'s 
definition of a ``youth'' from under 25 years old to under 18, 
require the D.C. Attorney General to establish a public website 
containing statistics on juvenile crime, and prohibit D.C. from 
enacting any changes to criminal liability sentencing, leaving 
only Congress the authority to change such laws.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    Crime has skyrocketed in the District of Columbia (D.C.)--
increasing 30 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year.\1\ 
In 2023, homicides increased 29 percent compared to 2022, and 
homicides today have doubled since 2012.\2\ Violent crime 
increased 37 percent and robberies increased 65 percent from 
2022 to 2023.\3\ Motor vehicle thefts increased 107 percent 
between 2022 and 2023.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\District Crime Data at a Glance, DC.gov (Feb. 5, 2024), https://
mpdc.dc.gov/page/district-crime-data-glance.
    \2\Id.
    \3\Id. 
    \4\Id.
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    Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is 
losing many officers to early resignations. These officers 
often cite the D.C. Council's restrictive laws as reasons for 
leaving.\5\ According to the National Fraternal Order of 
Police, one third of MPD officers (approx. 1,190 officers) have 
left the force, with 40 percent of this attrition resulting 
from resignations.\6\ In a February, 2023 hearing before the 
D.C. Council, then-D.C. police Chief Robert Contee noted the 
MPD needs 800 additional officers to reach full strength.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\Megan Cloherty, DC's police chief says recruiting officers is 
harder due to new laws, WTOP NEWS (Feb. 24, 2023), https://wtop.com/dc/
2023/02/dc-police-chief-blames-recruiting-struggles-on-new-laws/.
    \6\Letter from Patrick Yoes, National President, National Fraternal 
Order of Police, to Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House, Hakeem 
Jeffries, Minority Leader of the House, et. al. (Mar. 28, 2023), 
https://fop.net/letter/h-j-res-42-a-resolution-disapproving-the-
adoption-of-the-compre hensive-policing-and-justice-reform-amendment-
act-cpjraa-by-the-washington-d-c-city-council/.
    \7\Id.6
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    Local D.C. residents are acutely aware of D.C. crime and 
have held community meetings to discuss the issue.\8\ Crime is 
also occurring right outside of Federal government 
buildings.\9\ In January 2024, a man was shot on the 900 block 
of K Street NW--just north of the White House.\10\ D.C. 
businesses have responded to rising crime by either closing 
their doors or relocating to safer areas.\11\ In 2023, 52 
restaurants in D.C. closed in response to the surge in violent 
crime.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\Sierra Fox, Community demands accountability for juvenile crimes 
at carjacking panel in Southeast, FOX 5 (Jan. 31, 2024), https://
www.fox5dc.com/news/community-demands-account ability-for-juvenile-
crimes-at-carjacking-panel-in-southeast.
    \9\MPD Investigating Man's Overnight Crime Spree, Leaving 1 Dead 
and 1 with Critical Injuries, DC.gov (Jan. 30, 2024), https://
mpdc.dc.gov/release/mpd-investigating-man%E2%80%99s-overnight-crime-
spree-leaving-1-dead-and-1-critical-injuries.
    \10\Id.
    \11\Nikolas Lanum, DC business owner warns of `out of control' 
prices and crime after 52 restaurants shut down, FOX NEWS (Dec. 29, 
2023), https://www.foxnews.com/media/dc-business-owner-control-prices-
crime-52-restaurants-shut-down.
    \12\Id.
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    In response, the House Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability held two hearings regarding crime and public 
safety with elected officials from D.C. On March 29, 2023, the 
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing 
titled ``Overdue Oversight of the Capital City: Part 1'' to 
conduct long overdue oversight of the D.C. Council and gain 
insights into the city's crime crisis. The Committee heard 
directly from D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, 
Councilmember Charles Allen, D.C. Police Union Chairman 
Greggory Pemberton, and D.C. Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee. 
During this hearing, members of the Committee discussed D.C.'s 
troubling crime statistics and the D.C. Council's lack of 
support for various law enforcement agencies within the 
District.\13\
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    \13\Overdue Oversight of the Capital City: Part 1: Hearing Before 
H. Comm. on Oversight & Accountability, 118 Cong.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    On May 16, 2023, the House Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability held a hearing titled ``Overdue Oversight of the 
Capital City: Part 2.'' The Committee heard from D.C. Mayor 
Muriel Bowser and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves. D.C. 
Police Chief Robert Contee III and City Administrator Kevin 
Donahue were present at the hearing to assist Mayor Bowser in 
answering questions. During this hearing, Committee members 
continued to inquire about D.C.'s crime crisis, with an 
emphasis on prosecution rates and police officer retention.\14\
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    \14\Overdue Oversight of the Capital City: Part 2: Hearing Before 
H. Comm. on Oversight & Accountability, 118 Cong.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    It is the view of the Committee that the D.C. Council's 
continued enaction of irresponsible, soft-on-crime policies 
endanger residents of, and visitors to, our nation's capital. 
In January 2023, the D.C. Council passed the Revised Criminal 
Code Act of 2022 (RCCA) (D.C. Act 24-789), which eliminated 
mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes except first degree 
murder, eliminated life sentences, reduced maximum penalties 
for violent crimes, and established other crime reforms.\15\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \15\Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, D.C. Act 24-789.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    RCCA gained widespread disapproval from policy leaders 
across the political spectrum. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed 
this legislation, citing in a public letter that the Act ``does 
not make us safer'' and contains ``controversial policy 
proposals'' such as expanding jury rights and expanding 
eligibility for individuals to have their sentences reheard by 
a court.\16\ The Washington Post editorial board published an 
article titled ``D.C.'s crime bill could make the city more 
dangerous.''\17\ Congress responded by blocking the RCCA from 
taking effect by enacting the bipartisan H.J. Res. 26 into law 
(P.L. 118-1).\18\
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    \16\Letter from Mayor Muriel Bowser, Mayor, D.C., to Phil 
Mendelson, Chairman, Council of D.C. (Jan. 4, 2023).
    \17\D.C.'s crime bill could make the city more dangerous, The Wash. 
Post (15 Jan. 2023).
    \18\Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in 
approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, Pub. L. No. 118-1 
(2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The D.C. Council then passed another bill, the 
Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 
(D.C. Act 24-781), which targeted DC Metropolitan Police 
Department (MPD) officers and their ability to combat rising 
crime.\19\ Some of the policies included in this Act include a 
prohibition of the use of neck restraints--despite these 
chokehold techniques already being banned by the D.C. Council 
in 1985;\20\ prohibiting officers from viewing body-cam footage 
when writing initial reports of an incident; requiring the 
Mayor to publicly release the names of officers in all 
instances of ``serious use of force;'' and enabling protesters 
and criminals to target police officers. Congress advanced H.J. 
Res. 42 to prevent the D.C. Act from becoming law\21\, but 
President Biden vetoed the bipartisan disapproval resolution, 
ensuring D.C.'s anti-police reforms went into effect.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \19\Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 
2022, D.C. Act 24-781.
    \20\Limitation on the Use of the Chokehold Act of 1985, D.C. Law 6-
77.
    \21\Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in 
approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act 
of 2022, H.J. Res. 41 (2023).
    \22\Message to the House of Representatives--President's Veto of 
H.J. Res. 42, The White House (May 25, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Congress must exercise its constitutional responsibility to 
oversee the safety of residents and visitors in D.C.\23\ The 
D.C. CRIMES Act achieves this goal by lowering D.C.'s legal 
definition of a ``youth'' offender from under 25 years old to 
under 18, requiring the D.C. Attorney General to publish 
juvenile crime statistics on a public website, and prohibiting 
the D.C. Council from enacting any further changes to D.C.'s 
mandatory minimum sentences and sentencing guidelines.
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    \23\U.S. Const. art. 1, Sec. 8, cl. 18.
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                      Section-by-Section Analysis


Section 1. Short title

     The short title is the ``D.C. Criminal Reforms to 
Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act.''

Section 2. Youth offenders

     Subsection (a) amends the Youth Rehabilitation Act 
of 1985 to define a youth as someone who is 18 years old or 
younger, rather than 24 years old or younger.
     Subsection (b) strikes a portion of the Youth 
Rehabilitation act that allows a judge to sentence a youth 
offender less than the mandatory minimum.

Section 3. Establishment and operation of website on District of 
        Columbia juvenile crime statistics

     Subsection (a) requires the Attorney General of 
D.C. to establish and operate a publicly accessible website 
which contains data on juvenile crime in D.C. The website will 
include:
           The total number of juveniles arrested 
        each year.
           The total number and percentage of 
        juveniles arrested each year, broken down by age, race, 
        and sex.
           Of the total number of juveniles 
        arrested each year, the total number and percentage 
        arrested for petty crime, including vandalism, theft, 
        and shoplifting.
           Of the total number of juveniles 
        arrested each year, the total number and percentage who 
        were arrested for their first offense.
           Of the total number of juveniles who had 
        been arrested previously, the total number and 
        percentage of the number of arrests.
           Of the total number of juveniles 
        arrested each year, the declination rate of prosecution 
        of the Attorney General for D.C.
           Of the total number of juveniles 
        sentenced each year, the number and percentage who were 
        tried as adults.
           Of the total number of juveniles 
        prosecuted each year, the number and percentage who 
        were not sentenced, who were sentenced to a 
        misdemeanor, and who were sentenced to a felony.
           Of the total number of juveniles 
        sentenced each year, the number and percentage of 
        length of time that will be served in a correctional 
        facility.
     Subsection (a) also requires the Attorney General 
to monthly update the information contained on the website, 
archive the information to provide indefinite public access to 
historical data of juvenile arrests and prosecutions, and 
ensure the website and archived data is available in a machine-
readable format for bulk download. The subsection also ensures 
the website will not include any juvenile's personally 
identifiable information and defines ``crime'' and 
``juvenile''.
     Subsection (b) makes conforming amendments.
     Subsection (c) requires the Attorney General to 
establish the website within 180 of the enactment of this Act.

Section 4. Prohibiting council from enacting changes to existing 
        criminal liability sentences

    The section amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act 
to prohibit the D.C. Council from enacting any legislation 
changing criminal liability sentences, including mandatory 
minimum sentences.

                          Legislative History

    H.R. 7530, the DC CRIMES Act, was introduced on March 5, 
2024, by Representative Byron Donalds. The following 
Representatives are cosponsors of the bill: Andy Biggs (R-AZ), 
William Timmons (R-SC), Gary Palmer (R-AL), and Andrew Clyde 
(R-GA). The bill was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
held a hearing related to and used for development and 
consideration of the bill on March 29, 2023. The Committee 
considered H.R. 7530 at a business meeting on March 7, 2024, 
and ordered the bill as amended favorably reported by a 
recorded vote.

                        Committee Consideration

    On March 7, the Committee met in open session and ordered 
the bill, H.R. 7530, favorably reported with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute, by a roll call vote of 21-19, a 
quorum being present.

                            Roll Call Votes

    In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the following roll call vote 
occurred during the Committee's consideration of H.R. 7530:
    The first roll call vote was on Amendment #1 offered by Ms. 
Mace to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 
7530. The amendment was agreed to in a recorded vote of 20-19, 
with one Member voting ``present.''
    The second roll call vote was on favorably reporting H.R. 
7530. The bill was agreed to in a recorded vote of 21-19.


                       Explanation of Amendments

    During Committee consideration of the bill, Representative 
James Comer (R-KY), Chairman of the Committee, offered an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute that made certain 
technical changes to the bill. The amendment in the nature of a 
substitute, as amended, passed by voice vote.
    Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) offered an amendment to 
Representative James Comer's amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. The amendment offered by Representative Nancy Mace 
(R-SC) struck a provision that removed judicial discretion that 
allows youth offenders to be sentenced below the mandatory 
minimum for a crime. The amendment to the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute passed by a roll call vote.

                   List of Related Committee Hearings

    In accordance with House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(6), (1) The 
following hearing was used to develop or consider H.R. 7530:
    On March 29, 2023, the House Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability held a hearing titled ``Overdue Oversight of the 
Capital City: Part I'' with Mr. Phil Mendelson, Chairman, D.C. 
Council; Mr. Charles Allen, Councilmember, D.C. Council; Mr. 
Greggory Pemberton, Chairman, D.C. Police Union; and Mr. Glen 
Lee, Chief Financial Officer, Washington, D.C.
    (2) The following hearing related to H.R. 7530 was held:
    On May 16, 2023, the House Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability held a hearing titled ``Overdue Oversight of the 
Capital City: Part 2'' with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and U.S. 
Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves.

  Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 
(2)(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee's oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the Background and Need for 
Legislation section above.

         Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    In accordance with clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee's performance 
goals or objectives of this bill are to limit youth offender 
status in the District of Columbia to individuals 18 years of 
age or younger, to direct the Attorney General of the District 
of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible 
website containing updated statistics on juvenile crime in the 
District of Columbia, to amend the District of Columbia Home 
Rule Act to prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia 
from enacting changes to existing criminal liability sentences, 
and for other purposes.

              Application of Law to the Legislative Branch

    Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104-1 requires a 
description of the application of this bill to the legislative 
branch where the bill relates to the terms and conditions of 
employment or access to public services and accommodations. 
This bill does not relate to employment or access to public 
services and accommodations in the legislative branch.

                    Duplication of Federal Programs

    In accordance with clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII no provision 
of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a program of the 
Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal 
program, a program that was included in any report from the 
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to 
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a 
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance.

                  Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings

    This bill does not direct the completion of any specific 
rule makings within the meaning of section 551 of title 5, 
U.S.C.

                Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement

    The Committee finds that this legislation does not direct 
the establishment of advisory committees within the definition 
of Section 5(b) of the appendix to title 5, U.S.C.

                 Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

                         Earmark Identification

    This bill does not include any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9 of rule XXI of the House of Representatives.

                        Committee Cost Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee 
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. At the time this report was 
filed, the estimate was not available.

   New Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII, the Committee 
finds that H.R. 7530 would result in no new or increased budget 
authority.
    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the House of 
Representatives, at the time this report was filed, the cost 
estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974 was not available.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    The requirements of clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives apply to H.R. 7530.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

                   DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICIAL CODE



           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE 16--PARTICULAR ACTIONS, PROCEEDINGS AND MATTERS.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


CHAPTER 23--FAMILY DIVISION PROCEEDINGS.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


 SUBCHAPTER I--PROCEEDINGS REGARDING DELINQUENCY, NEGLECT, OR NEED OF 
SUPERVISION.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


Sec. 16-2331. Juvenile case records; confidentiality; inspection and 
                    disclosure.

  (a) For the purposes of this section, the term ``juvenile 
case records'' means the following records of a case over which 
the Family Court has jurisdiction under section 11-1101(13):
          (1) Notices filed with the court by an arresting 
        officer pursuant to this subchapter;
          (2) The docket of the court and entries therein;
          (3) Complaints, petitions, and other legal papers 
        filed in the case;
          (4) Transcripts of proceedings before the court;
          (5) Findings, verdicts, judgments, orders, and 
        decrees; and
          (6) Other writings filed in proceedings before the 
        court, other than social records.
  (b) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in 
section 16-2333.01, juvenile case records shall be kept 
confidential and shall not be open to inspection, nor shall 
information from records inspected be divulged to unauthorized 
persons.
  (c) Subject to the limitations of subsection (f) of this 
section, the following entities and persons may inspect 
juvenile case records:
          (1) The Courts:
                  (A) Judges and professional staff of the 
                Superior Court; and
                  (B) Any court in which the respondent is 
                charged or convicted as a respondent in a 
                delinquency matter, or status offense, or as a 
                defendant in a criminal offense, or the court's 
                probation staff.
          (2) Family Court case participants:
                  (A) The Attorney General and his assistants 
                assigned to the Family Court;
                  (B) The respondent and any attorney for the 
                respondent without regard to the age of the 
                respondent at the time of the inspection and 
                without regard to the existence of a pending 
                Family Court case;
                  (C) The parents or guardians and any attorney 
                for them without regard to the age of the 
                respondent at the time of the inspection and 
                without regard to the existence of a pending 
                Family Court case;
                  (D) Unless the release of the information is 
                otherwise prohibited by law or includes mental 
                health information, each victim, or the 
                immediate family member or custodians of each 
                victim if the victim is a child or is deceased 
                or incapacitated, and their duly authorized 
                attorneys, at the discretion of the Attorney 
                General and when the information relates to:
                          (i) Release status;
                          (ii) The level of respondent's 
                        placement;
                          (iii) Stay-away orders imposed;
                          (iv) Respondent's participation in 
                        diversion or a consent decree;
                          (v) The offenses charged in the 
                        petition;
                          (vi) The terms of any plea 
                        agreements, findings, or verdicts 
                        related to the adjudication of the 
                        case; or
                          (vii) Commitment or probational 
                        status;
                  (E) Unless the release of information is 
                otherwise prohibited by law or includes mental 
                health information, each eyewitness, or the 
                immediate family members or custodians of each 
                eyewitness if the eyewitness is a child or is 
                deceased or incapacitated, and their duly 
                authorized attorneys, at the discretion of the 
                Attorney General or of the respondent's 
                attorney and when the information relates to:
                          (i) Release status;
                          (ii) The level of respondent's 
                        placement;
                          (iii) Stay-away orders imposed;
                          (iv) Respondent's participation in 
                        diversion or a consent decree;
                          (v) The offenses charged in the 
                        petition;
                          (vi) The terms of any plea 
                        agreements, findings, or verdicts 
                        related to the adjudication of the 
                        case; or
                          (vii) Commitment or probational 
                        status; and
                  (F) Public or private agencies or 
                institutions providing supervision or treatment 
                or having custody of the child, if supervision, 
                treatment, or custody is under order of the 
                Family Court;
          (3) Other court case participants and law 
        enforcement:
                  (A) The United States Attorney for the 
                District of Columbia, his assistants, and any 
                other prosecuting attorneys, or defense 
                attorneys, when necessary for the discharge of 
                their official duties;
                  (B) Any law enforcement personnel when 
                necessary for the discharge of their official 
                duties;
                  (C) The Pretrial Services Agency of the 
                District of Columbia when necessary for the 
                discharge of its official duties; and
                  (D) The Court Services and Offender 
                Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia 
                when necessary for the discharge of its 
                official duties;
          (4) Government agencies and entities:
                  (A) The Mayor in accordance with [Sec.  50-
                1403.02];
                  (B) Authorized personnel in the Mayor's 
                Family Court Liaison, the Department of Health, 
                the Department of Behavioral Health, the Child 
                and Family Services Agency, the Department of 
                Human Services, the District of Columbia Public 
                Schools, and the Office of the Attorney General 
                for the District of Columbia for the purpose 
                of:
                          (i) The delivery of services to:
                                  (I) Individuals under the 
                                jurisdiction of the Family 
                                Court, or their families; and
                                  (II) Youth who have been 
                                diverted by law enforcement, by 
                                the Office of the Attorney 
                                General for the District of 
                                Columbia, or pursuant to [Sec.  
                                16-2305.02]; or
                          (ii) Monitoring recidivism and the 
                        efficacy of services provided to:
                                  (I) Individuals under the 
                                jurisdiction of the Family 
                                Court; and
                                  (II) Youth who have been 
                                diverted by law enforcement, by 
                                the Office of the Attorney 
                                General for the District of 
                                Columbia, or pursuant to [Sec.  
                                16-2305.02];
                  (C) The Child Fatality Review Committee for 
                the purposes of examining past events and 
                circumstances surrounding deaths of children in 
                the District of Columbia or of children who are 
                either residents or wards of the District of 
                Columbia, or for the discharge of its official 
                duties;
                  (D) The Children's Advocacy Center and the 
                public and private agencies and institutions 
                that are members of the multidisciplinary 
                investigation team, for purposes of carrying 
                out their official duties, except that only 
                information contained in the records, and not 
                the records or copies of the records, may be 
                provided pursuant to this subparagraph;
                  (E) The Child and Family Services Agency, for 
                the purposes of carrying out its official 
                duties;
                  (F) The Juvenile Abscondence Review Committee 
                for the purposes of examining circumstances and 
                events surrounding any homicide, assault with 
                intent to kill, and assault with a deadly 
                weapon committed in the District by or to a 
                juvenile in abscondence; and
                  (G) The Violence Fatality Review Committee 
                for the purposes of examining past events and 
                circumstances surrounding suicides and 
                homicides, as that term is defined in [Sec.  5-
                1431.01(e)], or for the discharge of its 
                official duties.
          (5) Other persons having a professional interest in 
        the protection, welfare, treatment, and rehabilitation 
        of the respondent or of a member of the respondent's 
        family, or in the work of the Superior Court, if 
        authorized by rule or special order of the court.
  (d) The prosecuting attorney inspecting records pursuant to 
subsection (c)(3)(A) of this section may divulge the contents 
to the extent required in the prosecution of a criminal case, 
and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and 
his assistants may inspect a transcript of the testimony of any 
witness and divulge the contents to the extent required by the 
prosecution of the witness for perjury, without, wherever 
possible, naming or otherwise revealing the identity of a child 
under the jurisdiction of the Family Court.
  (e) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, the 
Family Court, upon application of the Attorney General, may 
order the release of certain information contained in the case 
record if:
          (1) The respondent has escaped from detention or from 
        the custody of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation 
        Services and is likely to pose a danger or threat of 
        bodily harm to another person;
          (2) Release of the information is necessary to 
        protect the public safety and welfare; and
          (3) The respondent has been charged with a crime of 
        violence as defined in section 23-1331(4).
  (f) Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c) of this section, 
the Superior Court may by rule or special order provide that 
particular items or classes of items in juvenile case records 
shall not be open to inspection except pursuant to rule or 
special order; but, in dispositional proceedings after an 
adjudication, no item considered by the judge (other than 
identification of the sources of confidential information) 
shall be withheld from inspection:
          (1) In delinquency or need of supervision cases, by 
        the attorney for the child; or
          (2) In neglect cases, by the attorney for the child 
        and an attorney for the parent, guardian, or other 
        custodian of the child.
  (g) The Superior Court may by rule or special order provide 
procedures for the inspection or copying of juvenile case 
records by persons entitled to inspect them. No person 
receiving any record or information pursuant to this section 
may publish or use it for any purpose other than that for which 
it was received without a special order of the court.
  (h)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, for 
every respondent against whom the Office of the Attorney 
General has filed a petition for the following:
          (A) A crime of violence (as defined in section 23-
        1331(4));
          (B) A weapons offense;
          (C) Unauthorized use of a vehicle;
          (D) Theft in the first degree where the property 
        obtained or used is a motor vehicle (as defined in 
        section 22-3215(a)); or
          (E) The Office of the Attorney General has filed 3 or 
        more petitions against the respondent, and the 
        respondent is not detained by the Family Court pursuant 
        to section 16-2313(b)(3), the Family Court shall 
        provide, within 48 hours of the decision not to detain 
        the respondent, the following case record information 
        to the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department 
        (``Chief''):
                  (i) Respondent's name and date of birth;
                  (ii) Last known address of the respondent;
                  (iii) Last known address of respondent's 
                parents, guardians, caretakers, and custodians;
                  (iv) Address where the respondent will be 
                placed and the name and address of the person 
                into whose custody the respondent will be 
                placed; and
                  (v) All terms of the placement or conditions 
                of release.
  (2) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, the 
Family Court shall provide the following case record 
information to the Chief for all cases in which the respondent 
is not detained by the Family Court pursuant to section 16-
2313(b)(3) and cases in which the respondent is placed on 
probation pursuant to section 16-2320(c)(3):
          (A) Respondent's name and date of birth;
          (B) All terms or conditions of any stay-away order; 
        and
          (C) All terms or conditions of any curfew order.
  (3) The Chief shall utilize information obtained from the 
Family Court and may disclose such information to law 
enforcement officers or law enforcement entities only as 
necessary to preserve public safety or the safety of the 
respondent. The Chief shall not otherwise disclose this 
information, except as authorized by this section.
  (4) If the Chief discloses information pursuant to paragraph 
(3) of this subsection, the Chief shall notify the recipient 
that the information may only be re-disclosed to law 
enforcement officers and only to the extent necessary to 
preserve public safety or the safety of the respondent. The 
Chief shall notify the recipient of the information that any 
other use or disclosure of the information shall be governed by 
this section and sections 16-2332 and 16-2333, and that 
unauthorized re-disclosure may be prosecuted under section 16-
2336. Any violation of this paragraph will result in an 
investigation of the violation by the Inspector General of the 
District of Columbia.
  (5) If the petition filed against the juvenile does not 
result in disposition, the Family Court, within 48 hours of the 
entry of the decision by the court to dismiss or close the 
case, or the withdrawal of the petition by the Office of the 
Attorney General, shall notify the Chief of the Metropolitan 
Police Department that the case has not resulted in a 
disposition. The Chief shall, within 48 hours of the 
notification, destroy and erase from Metropolitan Police 
Department files the case record information received from the 
Family Court pursuant to this subsection and shall notify all 
parties and agencies to which it transmitted case record 
information pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection that 
the juvenile's case did not result in a disposition and any 
information that has been transmitted shall be destroyed and 
erased.
  (i) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, a person 
shall provide information contained in juvenile case records to 
the Attorney General for purposes of the website established 
and operated under section 16-2340a.
  [(i)] (j) No person shall disclose, inspect, or use records 
in violation of this section.

Sec. 16-2332. Juvenile social records; confidentiality; inspection and 
                    disclosure.

  (a) For the purposes of this section, the term ``juvenile 
social records'' means all social records made with respect to 
a child in any proceedings over which the Family Court has 
jurisdiction under section 11-1101(13), including preliminary 
inquiries, predisposition studies, and examination reports.
  (b) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in 
section 16-2333.01, juvenile social records shall be kept 
confidential and shall not be open to inspection.
  (c) Subject to the limitations of subsection (e) of this 
section, the following persons and entities may inspect 
juvenile social records:
          (1) Courts:
                  (A) Judges and professional staff of the 
                Superior Court; and
                  (B) Any court or its probation staff, for 
                purposes of sentencing the child as a defendant 
                in a criminal case;
          (2) Family Court case participants:
                  (A) The Attorney General and his assistants 
                assigned to the Family Court;
                  (B) The respondent and any attorney for the 
                respondent without regard to the age of the 
                respondent at the time of the inspection and 
                without regard to the existence of a pending 
                Family Court case; and
                  (C) Public or private agencies or 
                institutions providing supervision or 
                treatment, or having custody of the child, if 
                the supervision, treatment, or custody is under 
                the order of the Family Court;
          (3) Other court case participants and law 
        enforcement:
``Law enforcement officers of the United States, the District 
of Columbia, and other jurisdictions when a custody order has 
issued for the respondent, except that such records shall be 
limited to photographs of the child, a physical description of 
the child, and any addresses where the child may be found, and 
the law enforcement officer may not be permitted access to any 
other documents or information contained in the social file;
          (4) Government agencies and entities:
                  (A) Professional employees of the Department 
                of Youth Rehabilitation Services when necessary 
                for the discharge of their official duties;
                  (B) The Child and Family Services Agency when 
                necessary for the discharge of its official 
                duties;
                  (C) The Child Fatality Review Committee for 
                the purposes of examining past events and 
                circumstances surrounding deaths of children in 
                the District of Columbia or of children who are 
                either residents or wards of the District of 
                Columbia, or for the discharge of its official 
                duties;
                  (D) Authorized personnel in the Mayor's 
                Family Court Liaison, the Department of Health, 
                the Department of Behavioral Health, the Child 
                and Family Services Agency, the Department of 
                Human Services, the District of Columbia Public 
                Schools, and the Office of the Attorney General 
                for the District of Columbia for the purpose 
                of:
                          (i) The delivery of services to:
                                  (I) Individuals under the 
                                jurisdiction of the Family 
                                Court, or their families; and
                                  (II) Youth who have been 
                                diverted by law enforcement, by 
                                the Office of the Attorney 
                                General for the District of 
                                Columbia, or pursuant to [Sec.  
                                16-2305.02]; or
                          (ii) Monitoring recidivism and the 
                        efficacy of services provided to:
                                  (I) Individuals under the 
                                jurisdiction of the Family 
                                Court; and
                                  (II) Youth who have been 
                                diverted by law enforcement, by 
                                the Office of the Attorney 
                                General for the District of 
                                Columbia, or pursuant to [Sec.  
                                16-2305.02]; and
                  (E) The Violence Fatality Review Committee 
                for the purposes of examining past events and 
                circumstances surrounding suicides and 
                homicides, as that term is defined in [Sec.  5-
                1431.01(e)], or for the discharge of its 
                official duties.
          (5) Other persons having a professional interest in 
        the protection, welfare, treatment, and rehabilitation 
        of the respondent or of a member of the respondent's 
        family, or in the work of the Family Court, if 
        authorized by rule or special order of the court.
  (d)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in 
section 16-2333.01, records inspected pursuant to subsection 
(c) of this section may not be divulged to unauthorized 
persons.
  (2)(A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, 
health and human services information contained with juvenile 
social records may be divulged for the purposes of and in 
accordance with [Chapter 2A Title 7].
  (B) For the purposes of this paragraph, the term ``health and 
human services information'' shall have the same meaning as 
provided in [Sec.  7-241(3)].
  (e) Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c) of this section, 
the Superior Court may by rule or special order provide that 
particular items or classes of items in juvenile social records 
shall not be open to inspection except pursuant to rule or 
special order; but, in dispositional proceedings after an 
adjudication, no item considered by the judge (other than 
identification of the sources of confidential information) 
shall be withheld from inspection:
          (1) In delinquency or need of supervision cases, by 
        the attorney for the child; or
          (2) In neglect cases, by the attorney for the child 
        and an attorney for the parent, guardian, or other 
        custodian of the child.
  (f) The Superior Court may by rule or special order provide 
procedures for the inspection or copying of juvenile social 
records by persons entitled to inspect them. No person 
receiving any record or information pursuant to this section 
may publish or use it for any purpose other than that for which 
it was received without a special order of the court.
  (g)(1) Notwithstanding subsections (b), (c), (d), or (e) of 
this section, for every respondent committed to the Department 
of Youth Rehabilitation Services (``Department'') pursuant to 
section 16-2320(c)(2) who has been adjudicated of:
          (A) A crime of violence (as defined in section 23-
        1331(4));
          (B) A weapons offense;
          (C) Unauthorized use of a vehicle;
          (D) Theft in the first degree where property obtained 
        or used is a motor vehicle (as defined in section 22-
        3215(a)); or
          (E) Adjudicated 3 or more times, the Mayor may direct 
        the Director of the Department (``Director'') to 
        provide notice to the Chief of the Metropolitan Police 
        Department (``Chief)'' of any assignment or placement 
        of the respondent in a Department facility or 
        residential or other placement, including any facility 
        operated by a contractor or agent, as soon as 
        practicable prior to the assignment or placement.
  (2) Notwithstanding subsections (b), (c), (d), or (e) of this 
section, for any respondent who is detained or committed to the 
Department, the Director shall provide notice to the Chief of 
any respondent who has absconded or escaped from any Department 
facility, or residential or other placement, including any 
facility or placement operated by an agent or contractor, 
within one hour of the absconding or escaping.
  (3) Notice issued pursuant to this subsection shall include 
the following information, as applicable:
          (A) Respondent's name and date of birth;
          (B) Last known address of the respondent;
          (C) Last known address of the respondent's parents, 
        guardians, caretakers, and custodians;
          (D) Address to which the respondent will be assigned, 
        placed, or released and the name and address of the 
        person into whose custody the respondent will be placed 
        if the respondent is not placed into a Department 
        facility; and
          (E) A recent photograph of the respondent, if 
        available.
  (4) The Chief shall utilize information obtained from the 
Director and may disclose such information to law enforcement 
persons or law enforcement entities only as necessary to 
preserve public safety or the safety of the respondent. The 
Chief shall not otherwise disclose this information, except as 
authorized by this section.
  (5) If the Chief discloses information pursuant to paragraph 
(4) of this subsection, the Chief shall notify the recipient 
that the information may only be re-disclosed to law 
enforcement officers and only to the extent necessary to 
preserve public safety or the safety of the respondent. The 
Chief shall notify the recipient of the information that any 
other use or disclosure of the information shall be governed by 
this section and sections 16-2331 and 16-2333, and that 
unauthorized re-disclosure may be prosecuted under section 16-
2336. Any violation of this paragraph will result in an 
investigation of the violation by the Inspector General of the 
District of Columbia.
  (6) The Chief may make additional case-specific inquiries to 
the Mayor based on information disclosed under paragraph (1) of 
this subsection. The Mayor may direct the Director to provide 
such additional information, when requested by the Chief, but 
only as necessary to protect public safety or the safety of the 
respondent.
  (h) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, a person 
shall provide information contained in juvenile social records 
to the Attorney General for purposes of the website established 
and operated under section 16-2340a.
  [(h)] (i) No person shall disclose, inspect, or use records 
in violation of this section.

Sec. 16-2333. Police and other law enforcement records.

  (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in 
section 16-2333.01, law enforcement records and files 
concerning a child shall not be open to public inspection nor 
shall their contents or existence be disclosed to the public 
unless:
          (1) A charge of delinquency is transferred for 
        criminal prosecution under section 16-2307;
          (1A) The record pertains to a civil Notice of 
        Violation;
          (2) The interest of national security requires; or
          (3) The court otherwise orders in the interest of the 
        child.
  (b) Inspection of such records and files is permitted by:
          (1) Courts:
                  (A) The Superior Court, having the child 
                currently before it in any proceedings; and
                  (B) Any court in which respondent is charged 
                or convicted as a respondent in a delinquency 
                matter, or status offense, or as a defendant in 
                a criminal offense, or the court's probation 
                staff, or by officials of rehabilitation or 
                penal institutions and other rehabilitation or 
                penal facilities to which he is committed, or 
                by a parole board in considering his parole or 
                discharge or in exercising supervision over 
                him;
          (2) Case participants:
                  (A) The child and any attorney for the child 
                without regard to the age of the child at the 
                time of the inspection and without regard to 
                the existence of a pending Family Court case;
                  (B) Parents or guardians of the child and any 
                attorney for them without regard to the age of 
                the child at the time of the inspection and 
                without regard to the existence of a pending 
                Family Court case;
                  (C) Each eyewitness, victim, or the immediate 
                family members or caretakers of the eyewitness 
                or victim if the eyewitness or victim is a 
                child or is deceased or incapacitated, and 
                their duly authorized attorneys, when the 
                records relate to the incident in which they 
                were an eyewitness or a victim; and
                  (D) The officers of public and private 
                institutions or agencies to which the child is 
                currently committed, and those professional 
                persons or agencies responsible for the child's 
                supervision after release;
          (3) Prosecutors and law enforcement:
                  (A) Law enforcement officers of the United 
                States, the District of Columbia, and other 
                jurisdictions when necessary for the discharge 
                of their current official duties;
                  (B) The United States Attorney for the 
                District of Columbia, his assistants, and any 
                other prosecuting attorneys when necessary for 
                the discharge of their official duties;
          (4) Government agencies and entities:
                  (A) Professional employees of the Department 
                of Youth Rehabilitation Services when necessary 
                for the discharge of their official duties;
                  (B) The Child Fatality Review Committee when 
                necessary for the discharge of its official 
                duties;
                  (C) Authorized personnel in the Mayor's 
                Family Court Liaison, the Department of Health, 
                the Department Mental Health, the Child and 
                Family Services Agency, the Department of Human 
                Services, and the District of Columbia Public 
                Schools for the purpose of delivery of services 
                to individuals under the jurisdiction of the 
                Family Court, or their families;
                  (D) The Children's Advocacy Center and the 
                public and private agencies and institutions 
                that are members of the multi-disciplinary 
                investigation team, for purposes of carrying 
                out their official duties, except that only 
                information contained in the records, and not 
                the records of copies of the records, may be 
                provided pursuant to this subparagraph;
                  (E) The Juvenile Abscondence Review Committee 
                for the purposes of examining circumstances and 
                events surrounding any homicide, assault with 
                intent to kill, and assault with a deadly 
                weapon committed in the District by or to a 
                juvenile in abscondence; and
                  (F) The Violence Fatality Review Committee 
                when necessary for the discharge of its 
                official duties; and
          (5) Any other person, agency, or institution, by 
        order of the court, having a professional interest in 
        the child or in the work of the law enforcement 
        department.
  (c) The Family Court, upon application of the Attorney 
General and notice and opportunity for respondent or his 
counsel to respond to the application, may order the release of 
certain information contained in the law enforcement records 
if:
          (1) The respondent has escaped from detention or from 
        the custody of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation 
        Services and is likely to pose a danger or threat of 
        bodily harm to another person;
          (2) Release of such information is necessary to 
        protect the public safety and welfare; and
          (3) The respondent has been charged with a crime of 
        violence as defined in section 23-1331(4).
  (d) Photographs may be displayed to potential witnesses for 
identification purposes, in accordance with the standards of 
fairness applicable to adults.
  (e)(1) Certain juvenile crime information (but not records) 
shall not be confidential and shall be disclosable to the 
public strictly in accordance with the provisions of this 
subsection.
  (2) The public availability of the information regarding a 
child shall be limited to:
          (A) The child's name;
          (B) The fact that the child was arrested;
          (C) The charges at arrest;
          (D) The charges in the petition filed pursuant to 
        section 16-2305;
          (E) Whether the petition resulted in an adjudication 
        and the charges for which the child was found involved; 
        and
          (F) If the child was found involved, whether at 
        initial disposition the child was placed on probation 
        or committed to the custody of the Department of Youth 
        Rehabilitation Services.
  (3) The information shall be available only regarding:
          (A) A juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent of 
        a crime of violence (as defined in section 23-1331(4)), 
        or any felony offense under Chapter 45 of Title 22 
        (weapons) [Sec.  22-4501 et seq.] or Chapter 23 of 
        Title 6 (Firearms Control) [Chapter 25 of Title 7, 
        Sec.  7-2501.01 et seq. (2001 Ed.)];
          (B) A juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent 2 
        or more times of:
                  (i) A dangerous crime (as defined in section 
                23-1331(3)) that is not included in 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph;
                  (ii) Unauthorized use of a vehicle;
                  (iii) Theft in the first degree where the 
                property obtained or used is a motor vehicle 
                (as defined in section 22-3215(a));
                  (iv) A assault [Assault] (as defined in 
                section 22-404(a)(2)); or
                  (v) Any combination thereof; and
          (C) An adult offender (including a juvenile tried as 
        an adult under this chapter) convicted of a felony or 
        of misdemeanor assault; provided, that no more than 3 
        years have lapsed between the completion of his or her 
        juvenile sentence and the adult conviction.
  (4) This subsection permits the limited disclosure of 
information contained in records and files otherwise protected 
from disclosure under Sec.  16-2333, but does not authorize 
disclosure of the records and files.
  (5) This subsection shall apply only to individuals 
adjudicated after January 1, 2011, regardless of when the 
criminal offense occurred.
  (6) Any law enforcement information shared with the public 
shall comply with Metropolitan Police Regulations that apply to 
adult criminal records, including the Duncan Ordinance (Chapter 
10 of Title 1 of the District of Columbia Municipal 
Regulations).''.
  (f) Notwithstanding the confidentiality requirements of 
subsection (b) of this section, the Metropolitan Police 
Department shall make reports available to the public every 6 
months of the number of children arrested in the District by 
the location of the police service area within which the 
juvenile suspect lives, and giving the location of the police 
service area within which the crime occurred, the charges, and 
the date of the crime.
  (g) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a person 
shall provide information contained in law enforcement records 
and files concerning a child to the Attorney General for 
purposes of the website established and operated under section 
16-2340a.
  [(g)] (h) No person shall disclose, inspect, or use records 
in violation of this section.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


Sec. 16-2340a. Website of updated statistics on juvenile crime

  (a) Establishment and Operation of Website.--The Attorney 
General of the District of Columbia shall establish and operate 
a publicly accessible website which contains data on juvenile 
crime in the District of Columbia, including each of the 
following statistical measures:
          (1) The total number of juveniles arrested each year.
          (2) The total number and percentage of juveniles 
        arrested each year, broken down by age, race, and sex.
          (3) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each 
        year, the total number and percentage arrested for 
        petty crime, including the following crimes:
                  (A) Vandalism.
                  (B) Theft.
                  (C) Shoplifting.
          (4) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each 
        year, the total number and percentage arrested for 
        crime of violence (as defined in section 23-1331(4)).
          (5) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each 
        year, the total number and percentage who were arrested 
        for their first offense.
          (6) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each 
        year, the total number and percentage who had been 
        arrested previously.
          (7) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each 
        year who had been arrested previously, the total number 
        and percentage of the number of arrests.
          (8) Of the total number of juveniles arrested each 
        year, the declination rate for prosecutions by the 
        Office of the Attorney General for the District of 
        Columbia.
          (9) Of the total number of juveniles sentenced each 
        year, the number and percentage who were tried as 
        adults.
          (10) Of the total number of juveniles prosecuted each 
        year, the number and percentage who were not sentenced, 
        who were sentenced to a misdemeanor, and who were 
        sentenced to a felony.
          (11) Of the total number of juveniles sentenced each 
        year, the number and percentage of the length of time 
        that will be served in a correctional facility as 
        provided by the sentence.
  (b) Updates.--The Attorney General shall update the 
information contained on the website on a monthly basis.
  (c) Maintaining Archive of Information.--The Attorney General 
shall ensure that the information contained on the website is 
archived appropriately to provide indefinite public access to 
historical data of juvenile arrests and prosecutions.
  (d) Format.--The Attorney General shall ensure that the 
information contained in the website, including historical data 
described in subsection (c), is available in a machine-readable 
format available for bulk download.
  (e) Prohibiting Disclosure of Personally Identifiable 
Information.--In carrying out this section, the Attorney 
General shall ensure that the website does not include any 
juvenile's personally identifiable information.
  (f) Definitions.--In this section--
          (1) the term ``crime'' has the meaning given the term 
        ``offense'' in section 23-1331(2); and
          (2) the term ``juvenile'' has the meaning given the 
        term ``youth offender'' in section 2(6) of the Youth 
        Rehabilitation Act of 1985 (sec. 24-901(6), D.C. 
        Official Code).

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


TITLE 24--PRISONERS AND THEIR TREATMENT.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


CHAPTER 9--YOUTH OFFENDER PROGRAMS.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                  SUBCHAPTER I--YOUTH REHABILITATION.

Sec. 24-901. Definitions.

  For purposes of this subchapter, the term:
          (1) ``Committed youth offender'' means an individual 
        sentenced pursuant to this subchapter.
          (2) ``Conviction'' means the judgment on a verdict or 
        a finding of guilty, a plea of guilty, or a plea of no 
        contest.
          (3) ``Court'' means the Superior Court of the 
        District of Columbia.
          (4) ``District'' means the District of Columbia.
          (5) ``Treatment'' means guidance for youth offenders 
        designed to improve public safety by facilitating 
        rehabilitation and preventing recidivism.
          (6) ``Youth offender'' means a person [24 years of 
        age or younger] 18 years of age or younger at the time 
        that the person committed a crime other than murder, 
        first degree murder that constitutes an act of 
        terrorism, second degree murder that constitutes an act 
        of terrorism, first degree sexual abuse, second degree 
        sexual abuse, and first degree child sexual abuse.

Sec. 24-902. Facilities, treatment, and services for youth offenders.

  (a) The Mayor shall provide facilities, treatment, and 
services for the developmentally appropriate care, custody, 
subsistence, education, workforce training, and protection of 
the following youth offenders:
          (1) Those pending trial on charges of having 
        committed misdemeanor or felony offenses under District 
        law; and
          (2) Those convicted of misdemeanor or felony offenses 
        under District law and who are in the District's care 
        or custody.
  (a-1)(1) By September 30, 2019, the Mayor shall develop and 
submit to the Council a strategic plan for providing the 
facilities, treatment, and services for youth offenders 
required by subsection (a) of this section.
  (2) The strategic plan shall include recommendations for 
adopting and implementing inter-agency programming by District 
agencies to address the following:
          (A) The educational, workforce development, 
        behavioral and physical health care, housing, family, 
        and reentry needs of youth offenders before commitment, 
        while in District or federal care or custody, and upon 
        reentry;
          (B) The availability of a continuum of 
        developmentally appropriate, community-based services 
        for youth offenders before commitment, while in 
        District care or custody, and upon reentry;
          (C) Best practices in restorative justice for 
        victims, youth offenders, including for youth offenders 
        convicted of violent offenses, and persons at risk of 
        becoming youth offenders;
          (D) The expansion of diversion programs for persons 
        at risk of becoming youth offenders; and
          (E) Outreach by the District to committed youth 
        offenders in District or federal care or custody to 
        identify needs for services and plan for reentry.
  [(3) In developing the strategic plan required by this 
subsection, the Mayor shall consult with community-based 
organizations with expertise in juvenile justice issues and 
justice system-involved young adults 18 through 24 years of 
age.]
  (c) The federal Bureau of Prisons is authorized to provide 
facilities, treatment, and services for the developmentally 
appropriate care, custody, subsistence, education, workforce 
training, segregation, and protection of youth offenders 
convicted of felony offenses under District law and in federal 
care or custody.

Sec. 24-903. Sentencing alternatives.

  (a)(1) If the court determines that a youth offender would be 
better served by probation instead of confinement, it may 
suspend the imposition or execution of sentence and place the 
youth offender on probation.
  (2) The court, as part of an order of probation of a youth 
offender [15 to 24 years of age] 15 to 18 years of age, shall 
require the youth offender to perform not fewer than 90 hours 
of community service for a District government agency, a 
nonprofit, or a community service organization, unless the 
court determines that an order of community service would be 
unreasonable.
  (2A) A positive test for use of marijuana, or a violation of 
Sec. 48-1201, shall not be considered a violation of an order 
of probation unless the judicial officer expressly prohibits 
the use or possession of marijuana, as opposed to controlled 
substances generally, as a condition of probation.
  (3) By September 30, 2019, the Mayor shall develop and 
furnish to the court a youth offender community service plan. 
The plan shall include:
          (A) Procedures to certify a nonprofit or community 
        service organization for participation in the program;
          (B) A list of agencies of the District government or 
        non-profit or community service organizations to which 
        a youth offender may be assigned for community service 
        work;
          (C) A description of the community service work to be 
        performed by a youth offender in each of the named 
        agencies or organizations;
          (D) Procedures to monitor the attendance and 
        performance of a youth offender assigned to community 
        service work;
          (E) Procedures to report to the court a youth 
        offender's absence from a court-ordered community 
        service work assignment; and
          (F) Procedures to notify the court that a youth 
        offender has completed the community service ordered by 
        the court.
  (4) If the court unconditionally discharges a youth offender 
from probation pursuant to Sec.  24-906(b), the court may 
discharge the youth offender from any uncompleted community 
service requirement in excess of 90 hours. The court shall not 
discharge the youth offender from completion of the minimum of 
90 hours of community service.
  (b)(1) If the offense for which a youth offender is convicted 
is punishable by imprisonment under applicable provisions of 
law other than this subsection, the court may use its 
discretion in sentencing the youth offender pursuant to this 
subchapter, up to the maximum penalty of imprisonment otherwise 
provided by law.
  (2) Notwithstanding any other law, the court may, in its 
discretion, issue a sentence less than any mandatory-minimum 
term otherwise required by law.
  (3) The youth offender shall serve the court's sentence 
unless released sooner as provided in Sec.  24-904.
  (c)(1) If the court sentences a youth offender under this 
subchapter, the court shall make a written statement on the 
record of the reasons for its determination. Any statement 
concerning or related to the youth offender's contacts with the 
juvenile justice system or child welfare authorities, or 
medical and mental health records, shall be conducted at the 
bench and placed under seal. The youth offender shall be 
entitled to present to the court facts that would affect the 
court's sentencing decision.
  (2) In using its discretion in sentencing a youth offender 
under this subchapter, the court shall consider:
          (A) The youth offender's age at the time of the 
        offense;
          (B) The nature of the offense, including the extent 
        of the youth offender's role in the offense and whether 
        and to what extent an adult was involved in the 
        offense;
          (C) Whether the youth offender was previously 
        sentenced under this subchapter;
          (D) The youth offender's compliance with the rules of 
        the facility to which the youth offender has been 
        committed, and with supervision and pretrial release, 
        if applicable;
          (E) The youth offender's current participation in 
        rehabilitative District programs;
          (F) The youth offender's previous contacts with the 
        juvenile and criminal justice systems;
          (G) The youth offender's family and community 
        circumstances at the time of the offense, including any 
        history of abuse, trauma, or involvement in the child 
        welfare system;
          (H) The youth offender's ability to appreciate the 
        risks and consequences of the youth offender's conduct;
          (I) Any reports of physical, mental, or psychiatric 
        examinations of the youth offender conducted by 
        licensed health care professionals;
          (J) The youth offender's use of controlled substances 
        that are unlawful under District law;
          (K) The youth offender's capacity for rehabilitation;
          (L) Any oral or written statement provided pursuant 
        to Sec.  23-1904 or 18 U.S.C. Sec.  3771 by a victim of 
        the offense, or by a family member of the victim if the 
        victim is deceased; and
          (M) Any other information the court deems relevant to 
        its decision.
  (d) If the court does not sentence a youth offender under 
this subchapter, the court shall make a written statement on 
the record of the reasons for its determination and may 
sentence the youth offender under any other applicable penalty 
provision. Any statement concerning or related to the youth 
offender's contacts with the juvenile justice system or child 
welfare authorities, or medical and mental health records, 
shall be conducted at the bench and placed under seal.
  (e) If the court desires additional information as to whether 
a youth offender will benefit from sentencing under subsection 
(b) of this section, the court may order that the youth 
offender be committed for observation and study at an 
appropriate classification center or agency. Within 60 days 
from the date of the order or an additional period that the 
court may grant, the court shall receive the report.
  (f) Subsections (a) through (e) of this section provide 
sentencing alternatives in addition to the options already 
available to the court.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


                   DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOME RULE ACT



           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE VI--RESERVATION OF CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                       limitations on the council

  Sec. 602. (a) The Council shall have no authority to pass any 
act contrary to the provisions of this Act except as 
specifically provided in this Act, or to--
          (1) impose any tax on property of the United States 
        or any of the several States;
          (2) lend the public credit for support of any private 
        undertaking;
          (3) enact any act, or enact any act to amend or 
        repeal any Act of Congress, which concerns the 
        functions or property of the United States or which is 
        not restricted in its application exclusively in or to 
        the District;
          (4) enact any act, resolution, or rule with respect 
        to any provision of title 11 of the District of 
        Columbia Code (relating to organization and 
        jurisdiction of the District of Columbia courts);
          (5) impose any tax on the whole or any portion of the 
        personal income, either directly or at the source 
        thereof, of any individual not a resident of the 
        District (the terms ``individual'' and ``resident'' to 
        be understood for the purposes of this paragraph as 
        they are defined in section 4 of title I of the 
        District of Columbia Income and Franchise Tax Act of 
        1947);
          (6) enact any act, resolution, or rule which permits 
        the building of any structure within the District of 
        Columbia in excess of the height limitations contained 
        in section 5 of the Act of June 1, 1910 (D.C. Code, 
        sec. 5-405), and in effect on the date of enactment of 
        this Act;
          (7) enact any act, resolution, or regulation with 
        respect to the Commission of Mental Health;
          (8) enact any act or regulation relating to the 
        United States District Court for the District of 
        Columbia or any other court of the United States in the 
        District other than the District courts, or relating to 
        the duties or powers of the United States attorney or 
        the United States Marshal for the District of Columbia;
          (9) enact any act, resolution, or rule with respect 
        to any provision of title 23 of the District of 
        Columbia Code (relating to criminal procedure), or with 
        respect to any provision of any law codified in title 
        22 or 24 of the District of Columbia Code (relating to 
        crimes and treatment of prisoners), or with respect to 
        any criminal offense pertaining to articles subject to 
        regulation under chapter 32 of title 22 of the District 
        of Columbia Code, during the forty-eight full calendar 
        months immediately following the day on which the 
        members of the Council first elected pursuant to this 
        Act take office; [or]
          (10) enact any act, resolution, or rule with respect 
        to the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility 
        and Management Assistance Authority established under 
        section 101(a) of the District of Columbia Financial 
        Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 
        1995[.]; or
          (11) enact any act, resolution, or rule to change any 
        criminal liability sentence in effect on the date of 
        the enactment of the DC CRIMES Act of 2024.
  (b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as vesting in the 
District government any greater authority over the National 
Zoological Park, the National Guard of the District of 
Columbia, the Washington Aqueduct, the National Capital 
Planning Commission, or, except as otherwise specifically 
provided in this Act, over any Federal agency, than was vested 
in the Commissioner prior to the effective date of title IV of 
this Act.
  (c)(1) Except acts of the Council which are submitted to the 
President in accordance with the Budget and Accounting Act, 
1921, any act which the Council determines according to section 
412(a), should take effect immediately because of emergency 
circumstances, and acts proposing amendments to title IV of 
this Act and except as provided in section 462(c) and section 
472(d)(1), the Chairman of the Council shall transmit to the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of 
the Senate a copy of each act passed by the Council and signed 
by the Mayor, or vetoed by the Mayor and repassed by two-thirds 
of the Council present and voting, each act passed by the 
Council and allowed to become effective by the Mayor without 
his signature, and each initiated act and act subject to 
referendum which has been ratified by a majority of the 
registered qualified electors voting on the initiative or 
referendum. Except as provided in paragraph (2), such act shall 
take effect upon the expiration of the 30-calendar-day period 
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and any day on 
which neither House is in session because of an adjournment 
sine die, a recess of more than three days, or an adjournment 
of more than three days) beginning on the day such act is 
transmitted by the Chairman to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President of the Senate, or upon the 
date prescribed by such act, whichever is later, unless during 
such 30-day period, there has been enacted into law a joint 
resolution disapproving such act. In any case in which any such 
joint resolution disapproving such an act has, within such 30-
day period, passed both Houses of Congress and has been 
transmitted to the President, such resolution, upon becoming 
law, subsequent to the expiration of such 30-day period, shall 
be deemed to have repealed such act, as of the date such 
resolution becomes law. The provisions of section 604, except 
subsections (d), (e), and (f) of such section, shall apply with 
respect to any joint resolution disapproving any act pursuant 
to this paragraph.
  (2) In the case of any such Act transmitted by the Chairman 
with respect to any Act codified in title 22, 23, or 24 of the 
District of Columbia Code, such act shall take effect at the 
end of the 60-day period beginning on the day such act is 
transmitted by the Chairman to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President of the Senate unless, during 
such 60-day period, there has been enacted into law a joint 
resolution disapproving such act. In any case in which any such 
joint resolution disapproving such an act has, within such 60-
day period, passed both Houses of Congress and has been 
transmitted to the President, such resolution, upon becoming 
law subsequent to the expiration of such 60-day period shall be 
deemed to have repealed such act, as of the date such 
resolution becomes law. The provisions of section 604, relating 
to an expedited procedure for consideration of joint 
resolutions, shall apply to a joint resolution disapproving 
such Act as specified in this paragraph.
  (3) The Council shall submit with each Act transmitted under 
this subsection an estimate of the costs which will be incurred 
by the District of Columbia as a result of the enactment of the 
Act in each of the first 4 fiscal years for which the Act is in 
effect, together with a statement of the basis for such 
estimate.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                             MINORITY VIEWS

    We strongly oppose H.R. 7530 because we support home rule 
for the District of Columbia.

                       I. DEMOCRACY AND AUTONOMY

    The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines democracy as 
``government by the people'' and ``a government in which the 
supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them 
directly or indirectly through a system of representation 
usually involving periodically held free elections.''\1\ By 
definition, the United States is a democracy, but its capital 
is not.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Definition of ``Democracy'' (online 
at www.merriam-webster .com/dictionary/democracy) (accessed Feb 6, 
2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The principles of no taxation without representation and 
consent of the governed helped launch the American Revolution 
and are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. Yet, D.C. 
residents, who pay all federal taxes, have no voting 
representation in Congress, and Congress has plenary authority 
over D.C.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\U.S. Const. art. I, Sec. 8, cl. 17.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Majority claims Congress has a constitutional duty to 
legislate on local D.C. matters. That is false. The Majority 
chooses to legislate on local D.C. matters only when it thinks 
it can score political points.
    Despite giving Congress plenary authority over D.C., the 
Framers expected Congress to establish a local government for 
D.C.\3\ Indeed, Congress has established various forms of local 
government for D.C. since 1802.\4\ The U.S. Supreme Court has 
held that ``there is no constitutional barrier to the 
delegation by Congress to the District of Columbia of full 
legislative power.''\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\``[A] municipal legislature for local purposes, derived from 
their own suffrages, will of course be allowed them.'' The Federalist 
No. 43, at 240-241 (James Madison) (Clinton Rossiter ed., 1961).
    \4\See House Committee on the District of Columbia, Governance of 
the Nation's Capital: A Summary History of the Forms and Powers of 
Local Government for the District of Columbia, 1790 to 1973, 101st 
Cong. (1990).
    \5\District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co., Inc., 346 U.S. 
100, 109 (1953).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In 1973, Congress passed the D.C. Home Rule Act, which 
established an elected chief executive (the D.C. Mayor) and an 
elected legislature (the D.C. Council) for D.C.\6\ The intent 
of the Home Rule Act is to, among other things, ``grant to the 
inhabitants of the District of Columbia powers of local self-
government'' and ``relieve Congress of the burden of 
legislating upon essentially local District matters.''\7\ H.R. 
7530, which would prohibit the D.C. Council from ever changing 
``any criminal liability sentence,'' amend D.C.'s Youth 
Rehabilitation Amendment Act of 1985 (YRA), and require the 
D.C. Attorney General to post on a public website information 
about crime, clearly contravenes the intent of the Home Rule 
Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\Pub. L. No. 93-198 (1973).
    \7\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil 
Mendelson urged the Committee to oppose this bill.\8\ The D.C. 
Council has 13 members, who are elected by, and accountable to, 
D.C. residents. Congress has 535 voting members, none of whom 
are elected by, or accountable to, D.C. residents. Two days 
before the Committee's business meeting on H.R. 7530, the 
Council passed a sweeping bill, the Secure DC Omnibus Amendment 
Act of 2024, intended to reduce crime.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\Letter from District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council 
of the District of Columbia Chair Phil Mendelson to Chairman James 
Comer and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability (Mar. 6, 2024).
    \9\D.C. Act 25-411.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Instead of interfering in local D.C. matters, Congress 
should finally pass the D.C. statehood bill, H.R. 51, the 
Washington, D.C. Admission Act.

                    II. PROHIBITION ON D.C. COUNCIL

    H.R. 7530 is a radical bill. It would strip the D.C. 
Council of authority over criminal laws, though the scope of 
the authority withdrawn is unknown. Under H.R. 7530, the 
Council may not ``enact any act, resolution, or rule to change 
any criminal liability sentence in effect on the date of the 
enactment of the DC CRIMES Act of 2024.''
    H.R. 7530 is also a poorly drafted bill. The term 
``criminal liability sentence'' is neither defined in the bill 
nor a term of art, and we do not know what the Majority intends 
the term to mean. Courts, not legislatures, impose sentences on 
individuals convicted of crimes. Whatever the term means, the 
one thing that is clear is that the Council would no longer 
have the authority to change, including increase, any criminal 
liability sentence in effect on the date of the enactment of 
the bill, regardless of the circumstances.

                     III. YOUTH REHABILITATION ACT

    D.C.'s YRA gives the adult court discretion to use 
sentencing alternatives for a person under the age of 25 at the 
time that the person committed a crime other than murder, 
sexual abuse, and child sexual abuse.\10\ The YRA also allows 
the court, at the completion of a sentence for such a person, 
to ``set aside,'' or seal, the conviction.\11\ The YRA is not 
unique. Six states have laws like the YRA, five of which are 
represented by Republicans on the Committee, including Florida, 
the home state of the sponsor of H.R. 7530.\12\ If members of 
the Majority do not like the laws of their states, we recommend 
they petition their state legislatures for changes, rather than 
meddle in local D.C. matters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\D.C. Law 6-69.
    \11\Id.
    \12\Columbia University Justice Lab, Time for Change: A National 
Scan and Analysis of Hybrid Justice Systems for Emerging Adults (July 
2023) (online at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/
5c6458c07788975dfd586d90/t/64b5c336101e34528d39e3f4/1689633591368/
Time+for+Change+%2 82023%29+Full+Report.pdf).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        IV. CRIME IN RED STATES

    The Majority also seems to suggest that crime occurs only 
in D.C. and other blue cities and states. In fact, the murder 
rate is higher in red states than blue states. For each year 
from 2000 to 2020, the murder rate in the 25 states that voted 
for President Trump was higher than the murder rate in the 25 
states that voted for President Biden.\13\ If the Majority 
wants to combat crime--in both red and blue jurisdictions--they 
should work with us to pass federal gun violence prevention 
legislation, such as requiring universal background checks for 
gun purchases and banning assault weapons and large-capacity 
magazines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \13\Third Way, The Two-Decade Red State Murder Problem (Jan. 27, 
2023) (online at https://thirdway.org/report/the-two-decade-red-state-
murder-problem).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                             V. CONCLUSION

    All Americans are born equal; all of us have unalienable 
rights, including the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit 
of happiness; government exists legitimately only resting on 
the consent of the governed; and no people should be governed 
or taxed without their own direct representation. For these 
reasons, we strongly oppose H.R. 7530 and any other effort to 
undermine the will of D.C. voters and their elected 
representatives. The American citizens who live in D.C. want 
statehood for D.C., and Congress should heed their calls.
                                              Jamie Raskin,
                                                    Ranking Member.