Washington, D.C.'s elected mayor and council can pass local laws — but under the 1973 Home Rule Act, Congress retains the power to review and reject those laws within a fixed window. This bill would significantly expand that congressional oversight of D.C. governance. It would double the review window from 30 to 60 days, allow Congress to reject individual provisions of D.C. laws (not just entire acts), and — for the first time — extend the same review-and-disapproval power to D.C. executive orders and regulations issued by the Mayor or executive-branch officials. The bill would also prohibit the D.C. Council from withdrawing acts once transmitted to Congress, bar the Council from re-passing acts substantially similar to ones Congress has disapproved, and require the D.C. Mayor and Council Chair to appear annually before the House Oversight and Senate Homeland Security committees to report on the state of the District. Practically, the bill shifts a meaningful amount of governing authority over D.C. from the District's elected officials to Congress.
Transparency & Accountability
- Congressional review period for DC laws — Doubled from 30 to 60 days
- Congressional review scope — Extended to cover individual provisions of DC laws, not just whole acts
- Congressional review of DC executive branch — New disapproval authority over Mayor's executive orders and executive-branch regulations
- DC Mayor and Council annual hearing — New requirement to appear before House Oversight and Senate Homeland Security committees
- DC Council ability to withdraw transmitted Acts — Removed; Council cannot pull back acts during the congressional review window
- DC Council ability to re-pass disapproved Acts — Restricted; Council cannot transmit substantially similar acts after a congressional disapproval
Congressional Summary
District of Columbia Home Rule Improvement ActThis bill establishes a uniform 60-day period of congressional review for all nonemergency legislation enacted by the District of Columbia (DC). It also authorizes congressional disapproval of DC regulations and other executive actions, specific provisions in legislation, and extensions of emergency legislation.Currently, DC legislation is generally subject to a 30-day period of congressional review during which time Congress may enact a joint resolution of disapproval to nullify the legislation. Legislation involving criminal law is subject to a 60-day period of congressional review. Emergency legislation is not subject to congressional review.The bill applies a 60-day period of congressional review to all DC legislation other than emergency legislation. It also authorizes Congress to nullify (1) extensions of emergency DC legislation, and (2) one or more discrete provisions in DC legislation. The bill prohibits the DC Council from withdrawing legislation that it has transmitted to Congress for review or enacting legislation that is substantially the same as legislation that Congress disapproved. The bill also establishes a 60-day period of congressional review for DC executive orders and regulations according to procedures comparable to those for legislation. The bill additionally specifies the procedures for expedited consideration of joint resolutions of disapproval for DC legislation in each chamber, particularly the Senate.Finally, the bill requires the DC Mayor and the chair of the DC Council to present a report on DC to specified congressional committees at least once every calendar year.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-09-08
- Date Added
- 2026-05-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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