Skip to main content

Norton Introduces Bill to Give D.C. Legislative Autonomy as Part of Her ‘Free and Equal D.C.’ Bills

January 24, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced her bill to give the District of Columbia legislative autonomy by eliminating the congressional review period for legislation passed by the D.C. Council, enabling local D.C. bills to take effect immediately. Norton's bill kicks off her "Free and Equal D.C." series, a set of bills she will introduce as part of her strategy to give the District expanded home rule and equality while simultaneously pursuing statehood. Norton introduced her D.C. statehood bill, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51), with a record number of original cosponsors (155) and it now has a record number of total cosponsors (186).

"The congressional review period for D.C. legislation is onerous for the District, but rarely used by Congress, causing D.C. bills to be unnecessarily ensnared in congressional bureaucracy for months," Norton said. "Congress has only successfully used the congressional review period to overturn a D.C. bill three times since 1991. Congress instead generally uses the appropriations process to overturn or block D.C. laws. Legislative autonomy would eliminate unnecessary and wasteful administrative costs on the D.C. government, Congress and D.C. businesses and residents. The District currently has no certainty when D.C. bills, covering major issues such as taxes and regulations, will take effect. Under my bill, Congress would maintain its plenary authority to block or overturn D.C. legislation at any time. This common-sense measure merely updates the Home Rule Act to save time and taxpayer dollars for all concerned."

Currently, there is a required congressional review period for civil and criminal legislation passed by the District of Columbia (30 legislative days for civil and 60 legislative days for criminal). If a resolution disapproving a D.C. bill is signed into law during the review period, that bill does not become law.