DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOME RULE ACT (AMENDED THROUGH JULY 15, 2008) Public Law 93-198; 87 Stat. 774 D.C. Official Code § 1-201.01 et seq. Approved December 24, 1973 Prepared by Office of the General Counsel Council of the District of Columbia Suite 4 1350 Pennsylvania Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004 (202) 724-8026 Revised November 1, 2008 This document depicts the District of Columbia Home Rule Act as enacted by the Congress in December, 1973, and amended through July 15, 2008, the date of the last congressional amendment before the printing of this document. The text of the Act is in the original format as en- acted and amended. Where the Office of the General Counsel has added brief annotations to the text, those annotations appear in brackets. Provisions of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act that amend other acts are not included in this document except for those amendatory provisions found in Title IV (The District Charter). November 3, 2008 June 6, 2007 April 1, 2005 July 7, 2004 October 5, 2001 January 28, 1999 February 24, 1998 11.3.08 COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Vincent C. Gray, Chairman Yvette M. Alexander Jack Evans Marion Barry Jim Graham Muriel Bowser Phil Mendelson Kwame R. Brown Carol Schwartz David A. Catania Harry Thomas, Jr. Mary M. Cheh Tommy Wells OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL Under Whose Direction This Document Has Been Prepared Brian K. Flowers, General Counsel John Hoellen, Legislative Counsel Benjamin Bryant, Codification Counsel Donald S. Kaufman, Assistant General Counsel Katherine Westcott, Assistant General Counsel Kelly Davis, Assistant General Counsel Karen R. Barbour, Legislative/Codification Assistant Ada Arrington, Secretary 8.15.07 TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE I - SHORT TITLE, PURPOSES, AND DEFINITIONS Sec. 101. Short Title ......................................................1 Sec. 102. Statement of Purposes ............................................1 Sec. 103. Definitions .....................................................1 TITLE II -- GOVERNMENTAL REORGANIZATION Sec. 201. Redevelopment Land Agency ......................................2 Sec. 202. National Capital Housing Authority .................................3 Sec. 203. National Capital Planning Commission and Municipal Planning [Amendment to another law] ...................3 Sec. 204. District of Columbia Manpower Administration ........................3 TITLE III -- DISTRICT CHARTER PREAMBLE, LEGISLATIVE POWER, AND CHARTER AMENDING PROCEDURE Sec. 301. District Charter Preamble ..........................................4 Sec. 302. Legislative Power ................................................4 Sec. 303. Charter Amending Procedure .......................................4 TITLE IV -- THE DISTRICT CHARTER PART A -- THE COUNCIL Subpart 1 -- Creation of the Council Sec. 401. Creation and Membership .........................................5 Sec. 402. Qualifications for Holding Office ...................................7 Sec. 403. Compensation ...................................................7 Sec. 404. Powers of the Council ............................................8 Subpart 2 -- Organization and Procedure of the Council Sec. 411. The Chairman ...................................................9 Sec. 412. Acts, Resolutions, and Requirements for Quorum .......................9 Sec. 413. Investigations by the Council ......................................10 PART B -- THE MAYOR Sec. 421. Election, Qualifications, Vacancy, and Compensation ..................10 Sec. 422. Powers and Duties ..............................................11 iv Sec. 423. Municipal Planning .............................................13 Sec. 424. Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia ....................14 Sec. 424A. Authority of Chief Financial Officer over Personnel of Office and Other Financial Personnel .......................................20 Sec. 424B. Procurement Authority of the Chief Financial Officer .................21 PART C -- THE JUDICIARY Sec. 431. Judicial Powers .................................................22 Sec. 432. Removal, Suspension, and Involuntary Retirement .....................24 Sec. 433. Nomination and Appointment of Judges .............................25 Sec. 434. District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission .................26 PART D -- DISTRICT BUDGET AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Subpart 1 -- Budget and Financial Management Sec. 441. Fiscal Year ....................................................28 Sec. 442. Submission of Annual Budget .....................................28 Sec. 443. Multiyear Plan .................................................29 Sec. 444. Multiyear Capital Improvement Plan ................................30 Sec. 445. District of Columbia Courts' Budget ................................30 Sec. 445A. Water and Sewer Authority Budget ...............................31 Sec. 446. Enactment of Appropriations by Congress ...........................31 Sec. 446A. Permitting Increase in Amount Appropriated as Local Funds During a Fiscal Year ...........................................................32 Sec. 446B. Acceptance of Grant Amounts Not Included in Annual Budget ..........32 Sec. 447. Consistency of Budget, Accounting, and Personnel Systems .............33 Sec. 448. Financial Duties of the Mayor .....................................34 Sec. 449. Accounting Supervision and Control ................................35 Sec. 450. General and Special Funds ........................................35 Sec. 450A. Reserve Funds ................................................36 Sec. 450B. Comprehensive Financial Management ............................38 Sec. 451. Special Rules Regarding Certain Contracts ...........................39 Sec. 452. Annual Budget for the Board of Education [Repealed] ..................40 Sec. 453. Reductions in Budgets of Independent Agencies .......................40 Subpart 2 -- Audit Sec. 455. District of Columbia Auditor ......................................41 Sec. 456. Performance and Financial Accountability ...........................42 v PART E -- BORROWING Subpart 1 -- Borrowing Sec. 461. District's Authority to Issue and Redeem General Obligation Bonds for Capital Projects .........................................45 Sec. 462. Contents of Borrowing Legislation and Elections on Issuing General Obligation Bonds ...........................................45 Sec. 463. Publication of Borrowing Legislation ...............................46 Sec. 464. Short Period of Limitation ........................................46 Sec. 465. Issuance of General Obligation Bonds ...............................47 Sec. 466. Public or Private Sale ............................................47 Sec. 467. Authority to Create Security Interests in District Revenues ...............48 Subpart 2 -- Short-Term Borrowing Sec. 471. Borrowing to Meet Appropriations .................................49 Sec. 472. Borrowing in Anticipation of Revenues ..............................49 Sec. 473. Notes Redeemable Prior to Maturity ................................50 Sec. 474. Sales of Notes ..................................................50 Sec. 475. Bond Anticipation Notes .........................................50 Subpart 3 -- Payment of Bonds and Notes Sec. 481. Special Tax ....................................................51 Sec. 482. Full Faith and Credit of the District .................................51 Sec. 483. Payment of the General Obligation Bonds and Notes ...................52 Subpart 4 -- Full Faith and Credit of the Unites States Sec. 484. Full Faith and Credit of United States Not Pledged .....................52 Subpart 5 -- Tax Exemptions; Legal Investment; Water Pollution; Reservoirs; Metro Contributions; and Revenue Bonds Sec. 485. Tax Exemption .................................................52 Sec. 486. Legal Investment ...............................................53 Sec. 487. Water Pollution ................................................53 Sec. 488. Cost of Reservoirs on Potomac River ...............................53 Sec. 489. District's Contributions to the Washington Metropolitan Area transit Authority ............................................54 Sec. 490. Revenue Bonds and Other Obligations ..............................54 PART F -- INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AND AUTHORITIES Sec. 491. Board of Elections ..............................................60 vi Sec. 492. Zoning Commission .............................................61 Sec. 493. Public Service Commission .......................................61 Sec. 494. Armory Board ..................................................61 Sec. 495. Board of Education [Repealed] ....................................61 Sec. 496. Independent financial management, personnel, and procurement authority of District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority ..................61 Sec. ___ Initiatives, Referendums, and Recalls ...............................62 TITLE V -- FEDERAL PAYMENT [Repealed] Sec. 501. Duties of the Mayor, Council, and Federal Office of Management And Budget [Repealed] ......................................65 Sec. 502. Authorization of Appropriations [Repealed] ..........................65 TITLE VI -- RESERVATION OF CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY Sec. 601. Retention of Constitutional Authority ...............................65 Sec. 602. Limitations on the Council ........................................65 Sec. 603. Budget Process; Limitations on Borrowing and Spending ...............67 Sec. 604. Congressional