119-hr5183

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5183 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5183

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to establish a uniform 
 60-day congressional review period for District of Columbia laws, to 
 clarify the expedited procedures applicable to consideration of 
 resolutions of disapproval of District of Columbia laws, to authority 
 the use of resolutions of disapproval to disapprove provisions of 
District of Columbia laws and District of Columbia executive orders and 
 regulations, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 8, 2025

 Mr. Gosar (for himself, Mr. Comer, and Ms. Hageman) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
 Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to establish a uniform 
 60-day congressional review period for District of Columbia laws, to 
 clarify the expedited procedures applicable to consideration of 
 resolutions of disapproval of District of Columbia laws, to authority 
 the use of resolutions of disapproval to disapprove provisions of 
District of Columbia laws and District of Columbia executive orders and 
 regulations, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``District of Columbia Home Rule 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. UNIFORM 60-DAY CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW PERIOD FOR DISTRICT OF 
 COLUMBIA LAWS.

    (a) Establishment of 60-Day Period; Clarification of Beginning of 
Period and Days Excluded.--

Section 602
            (c) (1) of the District of 
Columbia Home Rule Act (

sec. 1-206.02
            (c) (1) , D.C. Official Code) is 
amended--

    (1) by striking ``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'' and inserting the following: ``the 
 60-day period (excluding days either House of Congress is 
 adjourned for more than 3 days during a session of Congress) 
 beginning on the later of the day such act is transmitted by 
 the Chairman to the Speaker of the House of Representatives or 
 the day such act is transmitted by the Chairman to the 
 President of the Senate''; and

    (2) by striking ``such 30-day period'' each place it 
 appears and inserting ``such 60-day period''.

    (b) Elimination of Alternative Period for Acts Affecting Criminal 
Laws.--

Section 602
            (c) of such Act (

sec. 1-206.02
            (c) , D.C. Official 
Code) is amended--

    (1) by striking paragraph

    (2) ; and

    (2) by redesignating paragraph

    (3) as paragraph

    (2) .
            (c) Special Rule for Acts Designated by Council as Involving 
Emergency Circumstances.--

    (1) No renewal of waiver of review for succeeding acts.--
 

Section 602
            (c) of such Act (

sec. 1-206.02
            (c) , D.C. Official 
 Code), as amended by subsection

    (b) , is amended by adding at 
 the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (3) If an Act is exempt from the requirements of paragraph

    (1) because of a determination by the Council under 

section 412

    (a) that the 
Act should take effect immediately because of emergency circumstances, 
an Act of the Council to extend the period during which such Act is 
effective, or any Act of the Council which is substantially the same as 
such Act, shall not be exempt from the requirements of paragraph

    (1) .''.

    (2) Conforming amendment.--

Section 412

    (a) of such Act (

sec. 1-204.12

    (a) , D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking 
 ``ninety days'' and inserting ``ninety days, subject to 

section 602
            (c) (3) ''.

SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF EXPEDITED PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO 
 CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS OF DISAPPROVAL.

    (a) Application of All Procedures to All Resolutions of 
Disapproval.--The third sentence of 

section 602
            (c) (1) of the District 
of Columbia Home Rule Act (

sec. 1-206.02
            (c) (1) , D.C. Official Code) is 
amended by striking ``

section 604, except subsections
            (d) ,

    (e) , and

    (f) of such section,'' and inserting ``

section 604''.

    (b) Clarification of Procedures.--

Section 604 of such Act (

sec. 1-
206.04, D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking subsections
            (c) through

    (j) and inserting the following:
 ``
            (c) Referral to Committees.--A resolution with respect to Council 
action shall be referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform of the House of Representatives, or the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, by the President of 
the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case 
may be.
 ``
            (d) Procedures in House of Representatives.--

    (1) In the House of 
Representatives, if the committee to which a resolution has been 
referred has not reported it at the end of twenty calendar days after 
its introduction, it is in order to move to discharge the committee 
from further consideration of any other resolution with respect to the 
same Council action which has been referred to the committee.
 ``

    (2) In the House, a motion to discharge may be made only by an 
individual favoring the resolution, is highly privileged (except that 
it may not be made after the committee has reported a resolution with 
respect to the same action), and debate thereon shall be limited to not 
more than one hour, to be divided equally between those favoring and 
those opposing the resolution. An amendment to the motion is not in 
order, and it is not in order to move to reconsider the vote by which 
the motion is agreed to or disagreed to.
 ``

    (3) In the House, if the motion to discharge is agreed to or 
disagreed to, the motion may not be renewed, nor may another motion to 
discharge the committee be made with respect to any other resolution 
with respect to the same action.
 ``

    (4) In the House, when the committee has reported, or has been 
discharged from further consideration of, a resolution, it is at any 
time thereafter in order (even though a previous motion to the same 
effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the consideration 
of the resolution. The motion is highly privileged and is not 
debatable. An amendment to the motion is not in order, and it is not in 
order to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to 
or disagreed to.
 ``

    (5) In the House, debate on the resolution shall be limited to 
not more than one hour, which shall be divided equally between those 
favoring and those opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit 
debate is not debatable. An amendment to, or motion to recommit, the 
resolution is not in order, and it is not in order to move to 
reconsider the vote by which the resolution is agreed to or disagreed 
to.
 ``

    (6) In the House, motions to postpone made with respect to the 
discharge from committee or the consideration of a resolution, and 
motions to proceed to the consideration of other business, shall be 
decided without debate.
 ``

    (7) In the House, appeals from the decisions of the Chair 
relating to the application of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives to the procedure relating to a resolution shall be 
decided without debate.
 ``

    (e) Procedures in Senate.--

    (1) In the Senate, if the committee to 
which is referred a resolution described in subsection

    (b) has not 
reported such joint resolution (or an identical joint resolution) at 
the end of 20 calendar days after its introduction, such committee may 
be discharged from further consideration of such joint resolution upon 
a written demand by any Member of the Senate, and such joint resolution 
shall be placed on the calendar.
 ``

    (2)
        (A) In the Senate, when the committee to which a resolution is 
referred has reported, or when a committee is discharged (under 
paragraph

    (1) ) from further consideration of a resolution described in 
subsection

    (b) , it is at any time thereafter in order (even though a 
previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) for a motion 
to proceed to the consideration of the resolution, and all points of 
order against the resolution (and against consideration of the 
resolution) are waived. The motion is not subject to amendment, or to a 
motion to postpone, or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of 
other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is 
agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed 
to the consideration of the resolution is agreed to, the resolution 
shall remain the unfinished business of the Senate until disposed of.
 ``
        (B) In the Senate, debate on the resolution, and on all debatable 
motions and appeals in connection therewith, shall be limited to not 
more than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally between those 
favoring and those opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit 
debate is in order and not debatable. An amendment to, or a motion to 
postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consideration of other 
business, or a motion to recommit the resolution is not in order.
 ``
            (C) In the Senate, immediately following the conclusion of the 
debate on a resolution described in subsection

    (b) , and a single quorum 
call at the conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with 
the rules of the Senate, the vote on final passage of the resolution 
shall occur.
 ``
            (D) Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the 
application of the rules of the Senate to the procedure relating to a 
resolution described in subsection

    (a) shall be decided without debate.
 ``

    (3) In the Senate the procedure specified in paragraph

    (1) or

    (2) shall not apply to the consideration of a resolution after the 
expiration of the 60 session days beginning with the date of the 
introduction of the joint resolution.
 ``

    (f) Coordination Between Houses.--If, before the passage by one 
House of a resolution of that House described in subsection

    (b) , that 
House receives from the other House a resolution described in 
subsection

    (b) , then the following procedures shall apply:
 ``

    (1) The resolution of the other House shall not be 
 referred to a committee.
 ``

    (2) Any Member of that House may at any time offer a 
 motion to proceed to the consideration of the resolution of the 
 other House, and such motion shall be considered in accordance 
 with paragraph

    (4) of subsection
            (d) (in the case of a motion 
 in the House) or in accordance with paragraph

    (2) of subsection

    (e) (in the case of a motion in the Senate).
 ``

    (3) With respect to a resolution described in subsection

    (a) of the House receiving the resolution--
 ``
        (A) the procedure in that House shall be the same 
 as if no resolution had been received from the other 
 House; but
 ``
        (B) the vote on final passage shall be on the 
 resolution of the other House.''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZING USE OF RESOLUTIONS OF DISAPPROVAL TO DISAPPROVE 
 PROVISIONS OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LAWS.

    (a) Authorization.--

Section 602
            (c) (1) of the District of Columbia 
Home Rule Act (

sec. 1-206.02
            (c) (1) , D.C. Official Code) is amended--

    (1) in the second sentence--
        (A) by striking ``such act shall take effect'' and 
 inserting ``such act and each provision thereof shall 
 take effect''; and
        (B) by striking ``a joint resolution disapproving 
 such act.'' and inserting ``a joint resolution 
 disapproving such act or any provision thereof.'';

    (2) in the third sentence--
        (A) by striking ``disapproving such an act'' and 
 inserting ``disapproving such an act or any provision 
 thereof''; and
        (B) by striking ``to have repealed such act'' and 
 inserting ``to have repealed such act or such provision 
 (as the case may be)''; and

    (3) in the fourth sentence, by striking ``disapproving any 
 act'' and inserting ``disapproving any act or any provision 
 thereof''.

    (b) Conforming Amendments.--

    (1) Application of expedited procedures for consideration 
 of resolutions.--The fourth sentence of 

section 602
            (c) (1) of 
 such Act (

sec. 1-206.02
            (c) (1) , D.C. Official Code) is amended 
 by striking ``disapproving such act'' and inserting 
 ``disapproving such act or any provision thereof''.

    (2) Clarification of joint resolution 

=== definition. ===
-

Section 604

    (b) of such Act (

sec. 1-206.04

    (b) , D.C. Official Code) is 
 amended by striking ``; but does not include a resolution which 
 specifies more than one action''.
            (c) Rule of Construction.--

Section 602
            (c) (1) of such Act (

sec. 1-
206.02
            (c) (1) , D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new sentence: ``The enactment of a resolution disapproving a 
provision of an act pursuant to this paragraph may not be construed to 
repeal any of the remaining provisions of such act or prohibit the 
enactment of any subsequent resolution disapproving any other provision 
of such act pursuant to this paragraph.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZING USE OF RESOLUTIONS OF DISAPPROVAL TO DISAPPROVE 
 EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND REGULATIONS.

    (a) Authorization.--Title VI of the District of Columbia Home Rule 
Act (

sec. 1-206.01 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section:

 ``limitations on regulatory authority of mayor

 ``

Sec. 605.

    (a) Transmission of Executive Orders and 
Regulations.--The Mayor shall transmit to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President of the Senate a copy of each 
executive order issued by the Mayor and each regulation promulgated by 
an officer of the executive branch of the District government.
 ``

    (b) Delay in Implementation.--Except as provided in paragraph

    (2) , an executive order or regulation transmitted under subsection

    (a) shall take effect upon the expiration of the 60-day period (excluding 
days either House of Congress is adjourned for more than 3 days during 
a session of Congress) beginning on the later of the day such executive 
order or regulation is transmitted by the Mayor to the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives or the day such executive order or regulation 
is transmitted by the Mayor to the President of the Senate, or upon the 
date prescribed by such executive order or regulation, whichever is 
later, unless during such 60-day period, there has been enacted into 
law a joint resolution disapproving such executive order or regulation.
 ``
            (c) Deemed Repeal.--In any case in which any joint resolution 
described in subsection

    (b) disapproving an executive order or 
regulation has, within the 60-day period described in subsection

    (b) , 
passed both Houses of Congress and has been transmitted to the 
President, such joint resolution, upon becoming law, subsequent to the 
expiration of such 60-day period, shall be deemed to have repealed such 
executive order or regulation, as of the date such joint resolution 
becomes law.
 ``
            (d) Application of Expedited Procedures for Consideration of 
Resolutions.--The provisions of 

section 604 shall apply with respect to 
any joint resolution disapproving any executive order or regulation 
pursuant to this section.''.

    (b) Description of Expedited Procedures for Consideration of 
Resolutions.--

    (1) In general.--

Section 604 of such Act (

sec. 1-206.04, 
 D.C. Official Code), as amended by 

section 3

    (b) , is amended by 
 adding at the end the following new subsection:
 ``

    (g) Consideration of Resolutions Disapproving Executive Orders 
and Regulations.--The provisions of this section shall apply with 
respect to the issuance of an executive order by the Mayor and the 
promulgation of a regulation by an officer of the executive branch of 
the District government in the same manner as such provisions apply 
with respect to a Council action, except that for purposes of 
subsection

    (b) a `resolution' means only a joint resolution, the matter 
after the resolving clause of which is as follows: `That the _________ 
approves/disapproves of the action of the Mayor or an officer of the 
executive branch of the District government described as follows: 
__________', with the blank spaces therein being appropriately filled, 
and either approval or disapproval being appropriately indicated, but 
does not include a resolution which specifies more than one action.''.

    (2) Conforming amendment.--

Section 604

    (b) of such Act (

sec. 1-206.04

    (b) , D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``

    (b) For the purpose of this section,'' and inserting ``

    (b) For the 
 purpose of this section with respect to a Council action,''.
            (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of such Act is 
amended by adding at the end of the items relating to title VI the 
following:

``

Sec. 605. Limitations on regulatory authority of Mayor.''.

SEC. 6. PROHIBITING COUNCIL FROM WITHDRAWING ACTS ALREADY TRANSMITTED.

 

Section 602
            (c) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (

sec. 1-
206.02
            (c) , D.C. Official Code), as amended by 

section 2
            (c) , is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (4) After the Council has transmitted an Act under this 
subsection, the Council may not withdraw the Act from the Speaker of 
the House or the President of the Senate during the period described 
with respect to the Act under paragraph

    (1) , and the Act shall be 
subject to this subsection without regard to any attempt by the Council 
to withdraw the Act.''.

SEC. 7. PROHIBITING TRANSMISSION OF ACTS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS 
 DISAPPROVED ACTS.

    (a) Prohibition.--

Section 602 of the District of Columbia Home Rule 
Act (

sec. 1-206.02, D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection:
 ``
            (d) Prohibiting Transmission of Acts Substantially the Same as 
Disapproved Acts.--If a joint resolution has been enacted into law to 
disapprove an Act transmitted by the Council under this section, the 
Council may not transmit another Act under this section which is 
substantially the same as the Act disapproved by the joint resolution, 
unless the Council is specifically authorized to transmit such an Act 
by a law enacted after the date of the enactment of the joint 
resolution to disapprove the original Act.''.

    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection

    (a) shall 
apply with respect to acts of the District of Columbia which are 
disapproved by a joint resolution enacted on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 8. ANNUAL HEARING AND REPORT ON STATE OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

 Not less frequently than once every calendar year, the Chair of the 
Council of the District of Columbia and the Mayor of the District of 
Columbia shall appear at a hearing of the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform of the House of Representatives and a hearing of the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
to present a report on the state of the District, including 
recommendations for such measures as they deem necessary and expedient.

SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.

 Except as provided in 

section 7

    (b) , this Act, and the amendments 
made by this Act, shall apply with respect to acts of the District of 
Columbia which are transmitted to Congress by the Council of the 
District of Columbia under 

section 602
            (c) of the District of Columbia 
Home Rule Act (

sec. 1-206.02
            (c) , D.C. Official Code), and with respect 
to executive orders and regulations with are transmitted to Congress by 
the Mayor under 

section 605 of such Act, as added by 

section 5, on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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