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

by Eleanor Holmes Norton

SEC. 221. PERMITTING INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN CAPITAL TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN STATE OF MOST RECENT DOMICILE.

(a) Requirement For States To Permit Individuals To Vote By Absentee Ballot.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Each State shall—

(A) permit absent Capital voters to use absentee registration procedures and to vote by absentee ballot in general, special, primary, and runoff elections for Federal office; and

(B) accept and process, with respect to any general, special, primary, or runoff election for Federal office, any otherwise valid voter registration application from an absent Capital voter, if the application is received by the appropriate State election official not less than 30 days before the election.

(2) ABSENT CAPITAL VOTER DEFINED.—In this section, the term “absent Capital voter” means, with respect to a State, a person who resides in the Capital and is qualified to vote in the State (or who would be qualified to vote in the State but for residing in the Capital), but only if the State is the last place in which the person was domiciled before residing in the Capital.

(3) STATE DEFINED.—In this section, the term “State” means each of the several States, including the State.

(b) Recommendations To States To Maximize Access To Polls By Absent Capital Voters.—To afford maximum access to the polls by absent Capital voters, it is the sense of Congress that the States should—

(1) waive registration requirements for absent Capital voters who, by reason of residence in the Capital, do not have an opportunity to register;

(2) expedite processing of balloting materials with respect to such individuals; and

(3) assure that absentee ballots are mailed to such individuals at the earliest opportunity.

(c) Enforcement.—The Attorney General may bring a civil action in the appropriate district court of the United States for such declaratory or injunctive relief as may be necessary to carry out this section.

(d) Effect On Certain Other Laws.—The exercise of any right under this section shall not affect, for purposes of a Federal tax, a State tax, or a local tax, the residence or domicile of a person exercising such right.

(e) Effective Date.—This section shall take effect upon the date of the admission of the State into the Union, and shall apply with respect to elections for Federal office taking place on or after such date.

SEC. 222. REPEAL OF OFFICE OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DELEGATE.

(a) In General.—Sections 202 and 204 of the District of Columbia Delegate Act (Public Law 91–405; sections 1–401 and 1–402, D.C. Official Code) are repealed, and the provisions of law amended or repealed by such sections are restored or revived as if such sections had not been enacted.

(b) Conforming Amendments To District Of Columbia Elections Code Of 1955.—The District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955 is amended—

(1) in section 1 (sec. 1–1001.01, D.C. Official Code), by striking “the Delegate to the House of Representatives,”;

(2) in section 2 (sec. 1–1001.02, D.C. Official Code)—

(A) by striking paragraph (6),

(B) in paragraph (12), by striking “(except the Delegate to Congress for the District of Columbia)”, and

(C) in paragraph (13), by striking “the Delegate to Congress for the District of Columbia,”;

(3) in section 8 (sec. 1–1001.08, D.C. Official Code)—

(A) by striking “Delegate,” in the heading, and

(B) by striking “Delegate,” each place it appears in subsections (d), (h)(1)(A), (h)(2), (i)(1), (j)(1), (j)(3), and (k)(3);

(4) in section 10 (sec. 1–1001.10, D.C. Official Code)—

(A) by striking subparagraph (A) of subsection (a)(3), and

(B) in subsection (d)—

(i) by striking “Delegate,” each place it appears in paragraph (1), and

(ii) by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2);

(5) in section 11(a)(2) (sec. 1–1001.11(a)(2), D.C. Official Code), by striking “Delegate to the House of Representatives,”;

(6) in section 15(b) (sec. 1–1001.15(b), D.C. Official Code), by striking “Delegate,”; and

(7) in section 17(a) (sec. 1–1001.17(a), D.C. Official Code), by striking “except the Delegate to the Congress from the District of Columbia”.

(c) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section shall take effect upon the admission of the State into the Union.

SEC. 223. REPEAL OF LAW PROVIDING FOR PARTICIPATION OF SEAT OF GOVERNMENT IN ELECTION OF PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT.

(a) In General.—Chapter 1 of title 3, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by striking section 21; and

(2) in the table of sections, by striking the item relating to section 21.

(b) Effective Date.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect upon the date of the admission of the State into the Union, and shall apply to any election of the President and Vice-President taking place on or after such date.

SEC. 224. EXPEDITED PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REPEALING 23RD AMENDMENT.

(a) Joint Resolution Described.—In this section, the term “joint resolution” means a joint resolution—

(1) entitled “A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 23rd article of amendment”; and

(2) the matter after the resolving clause of which consists solely of text to amend the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 23rd article of amendment to the Constitution.

(b) Expedited Consideration In House Of Representatives.—

(1) PLACEMENT ON CALENDAR.—Upon introduction in the House of Representatives, the joint resolution shall be placed immediately on the appropriate calendar.

(2) PROCEEDING TO CONSIDERATION.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—It shall be in order, not later than 30 legislative days after the date the joint resolution is introduced in the House of Representatives, to move to proceed to consider the joint resolution in the House of Representatives.

(B) PROCEDURE.—For a motion to proceed to consider the joint resolution—

(i) all points of order against the motion are waived;

(ii) such a motion shall not be in order after the House of Representatives has disposed of a motion to proceed on the joint resolution;

(iii) the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening motion;

(iv) the motion shall not be debatable; and

(v) a motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is disposed of shall not be in order.

(3) CONSIDERATION.—When the House of Representatives proceeds to consideration of the joint resolution—

(A) the joint resolution shall be considered as read;

(B) all points of order against the joint resolution and against its consideration are waived;

(C) the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the joint resolution to its passage without intervening motion except 10 hours of debate equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent;

(D) an amendment to the joint resolution shall not be in order; and

(E) a motion to reconsider the vote on passage of the joint resolution shall not be in order.

(c) Expedited Consideration In Senate.—

(1) PLACEMENT ON CALENDAR.—Upon introduction in the Senate, the joint resolution shall be placed immediately on the calendar.

(2) PROCEEDING TO CONSIDERATION.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order, not later than 30 legislative days after the date the joint resolution is introduced in the Senate (even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution.

(B) PROCEDURE.—For a motion to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution—

(i) all points of order against the motion are waived;

(ii) the motion is not debatable;

(iii) the motion is not subject to a motion to postpone;

(iv) a motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order; and

(v) if the motion is agreed to, the joint resolution shall remain the unfinished business until disposed of.

(3) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—If the Senate proceeds to consideration of the joint resolution—

(i) all points of order against the joint resolution (and against consideration of the joint resolution) are waived;

(ii) consideration of the joint resolution, and all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than 30 hours, which shall be divided equally between the majority and minority leaders or their designees;

(iii) a motion further to limit debate is in order and not debatable;

(iv) an amendment to, a motion to postpone, or a motion to commit the joint resolution is not in order; and

(v) a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business is not in order.

(B) VOTE ON PASSAGE.—In the Senate the vote on passage shall occur immediately following the conclusion of the consideration of the joint resolution, and a single quorum call at the conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the Senate.

(C) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCEDURE.—Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of this subsection or the rules of the Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure relating to the joint resolution shall be decided without debate.

(d) Rules Relating To Senate And House Of Representatives.—

(1) COORDINATION WITH ACTION BY OTHER HOUSE.—If, before the passage by one House of the joint resolution of that House, that House receives from the other House the joint resolution—

(A) the joint resolution of the other House shall not be referred to a committee; and

(B) with respect to the joint resolution of the House receiving the resolution—

(i) the procedure in that House shall be the same as if no joint resolution had been received from the other House; and

(ii) the vote on passage shall be on the joint resolution of the other House.

(2) TREATMENT OF JOINT RESOLUTION OF OTHER HOUSE.—If one House fails to introduce or consider the joint resolution under this section, the joint resolution of the other House shall be entitled to expedited floor procedures under this section.

(3) TREATMENT OF COMPANION MEASURES.—If, following passage of the joint resolution in the Senate, the Senate receives the companion measure from the House of Representatives, the companion measure shall not be debatable.

(e) Rules Of House Of Representatives And Senate.—This section is enacted by Congress—

(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that House in the case of the joint resolution, and supersede other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and

(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House.