Washington, D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51; 117th Congress)/Title I/Subtitle A

by Eleanor Holmes Norton

SEC. 101. ADMISSION INTO THE UNION.

(a) In General.—Subject to the provisions of this Act, upon the issuance of the proclamation required by section 103(a), the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth is declared to be a State of the United States of America, and is declared admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the other States in all respects whatever.

(b) Constitution Of State.—The State Constitution shall always be republican in form and shall not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United States or the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

(c) Nonseverability.—If any provision of this section, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remaining provisions of this Act and any amendments made by this Act shall be treated as invalid.

SEC. 102. ELECTION OF SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE.

(a) Issuance Of Proclamation.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not more than 30 days after receiving certification of the enactment of this Act from the President pursuant to section 403, the Mayor shall issue a proclamation for the first elections for 2 Senators and one Representative in Congress from the State, subject to the provisions of this section.

(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR ELECTIONS OF SENATORS.—In the elections of Senators from the State pursuant to paragraph (1), the 2 Senate offices shall be separately identified and designated, and no person may be a candidate for both offices. No such identification or designation of either of the offices shall refer to or be taken to refer to the terms of such offices, or in any way impair the privilege of the Senate to determine the class to which each of the Senators shall be assigned.

(b) Rules For Conducting Elections.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The proclamation of the Mayor issued under subsection (a) shall provide for the holding of a primary election and a general election, and at such elections the officers required to be elected as provided in subsection (a) shall be chosen by the qualified voters of the District of Columbia in the manner required by the laws of the District of Columbia.

(2) CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS.—Election results shall be certified in the manner required by the laws of the District of Columbia, except that the Mayor shall also provide written certification of the results of such elections to the President.

(c) Assumption Of Duties.—Upon the admission of the State into the Union, the Senators and Representative elected at the elections described in subsection (a) shall be entitled to be admitted to seats in Congress and to all the rights and privileges of Senators and Representatives of the other States in Congress.

(d) Effect Of Admission On House Of Representatives Membership.—

(1) PERMANENT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF MEMBERS.—Effective with respect to the Congress during which the State is admitted into the Union and each succeeding Congress, the House of Representatives shall be composed of 436 Members, including any Members representing the State.

(2) INITIAL NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR STATE.—Until the taking effect of the first apportionment of Members occurring after the admission of the State into the Union, the State shall be entitled to one Representative in the House of Representatives upon its admission into the Union.

(3) APPORTIONMENT OF MEMBERS RESULTING FROM ADMISSION OF STATE.—

(A) APPORTIONMENT.—Section 22(a) of the Act entitled “An Act to provide for the fifteenth and subsequent decennial censuses and to provide for apportionment of Representatives in Congress”, approved June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 2a(a)), is amended by striking “the then existing number of Representatives” and inserting “436 Representatives”.

(B) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by subparagraph (A) shall apply with respect to the first regular decennial census conducted after the admission of the State into the Union and each subsequent regular decennial census.

SEC. 103. ISSUANCE OF PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION.

(a) In General.—The President, upon the certification of the results of the elections of the officers required to be elected as provided in section 102(a), shall, not later than 90 days after receiving such certification pursuant to section 102(b)(2), issue a proclamation announcing the results of such elections as so ascertained.

(b) Admission Of State Upon Issuance Of Proclamation.—Upon the issuance of the proclamation by the President under subsection (a), the State shall be declared admitted into the Union as provided in section 101(a).