H.R. 5183 — District of Columbia Home Rule Improvement Act of 2025

This section revises congressional review requirements for District of Columbia (D.C.) acts under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act as follows: (1) increases the standard review period to 60 days (from 30 calendar days excluding Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and certain adjournments), excludes only days when either House of Congress is adjourned for more than three days during a session, and begins the period on the later of the transmission date to the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President of the Senate (previously, date of transmission to the Speaker); (2) eliminates the alternative review period for acts affecting criminal laws by striking paragraph (2) of Section 602(c); and (3) provides that an emergency exemption from review (under Section 412(a)) for an act does not apply to extensions of that act or substantially similar acts, limiting emergency acts to 90 days.

This section revises expedited procedures under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act for congressional consideration of resolutions disapproving D.C. Council actions. Specifically, it (1) applies all procedures of section 604 to such resolutions (previously excluding subsections (d), (e), and (f)); and (2) replaces section 604(c) through (j) with new provisions for (a) referral to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; (b) discharge from committee after 20 calendar days if not reported; (c) House procedures limiting debate to one hour (divided equally), barring amendments or motions to recommit, and deciding certain motions without debate; (d) Senate procedures allowing discharge on demand after 20 calendar days, waiving points of order on a motion to proceed, limiting debate to 10 hours (divided equally), barring amendments or postponements, and requiring a vote on passage after debate; and (e) coordination between Houses. (As background, these procedures fast-track congressional review of D.C. legislation, enabling disapproval within 30 legislative days of submission.)

This section amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to authorize Congress to disapprove individual provisions of D.C. acts (rather than the entire act) through joint resolutions within the 30-day review period. It makes conforming changes to related provisions and adds a rule of construction clarifying that disapproving one provision does not repeal remaining provisions of the act or prohibit subsequent resolutions disapproving other provisions. (Thus, Congress may selectively invalidate specific elements of D.C. laws without nullifying the whole.)

This section amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to subject executive orders issued by the Mayor and regulations promulgated by officers of the District's executive branch to congressional review via joint resolutions of disapproval using expedited procedures under section 604 of the Act (previously applicable only to Council actions). The Mayor must transmit such executive orders and regulations to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, delaying their effectiveness until the later of 60 days after transmission to both leaders (excluding days on which either House is adjourned for more than three days during a session of Congress) or the prescribed effective date, unless a joint resolution disapproving the action is enacted into law during that period; if enacted after the period, the resolution is deemed to repeal the action as of its enactment date. (Thus, this expands Congress's oversight authority over the District's executive branch, akin to its existing veto power over legislative actions.)

This section prohibits the Council of the District of Columbia from withdrawing an act after transmitting it to the Speaker of the House or President of the Senate during the congressional review period under sec. 602(c)(1) of the Home Rule Act. (Thus, the act remains subject to congressional review notwithstanding any withdrawal attempt.)

This section amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to prohibit the DC Council from transmitting another act substantially the same as one disapproved by Congress via joint resolution, unless specifically authorized by a subsequent law. (As background, under current law, the DC Council transmits acts to Congress for a 30-day review period during which Congress may enact a joint resolution of disapproval.) The prohibition applies to DC acts disapproved by joint resolution on or after the date of enactment of this bill.

This section requires the Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia and the Mayor of the District of Columbia to appear at least once every calendar year before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to present a report on the state of the District, including recommendations for necessary and expedient measures.

This section establishes the effective date of the Act and its amendments as applying to District of Columbia acts transmitted to Congress under section 602(c) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, and executive orders and regulations transmitted by the Mayor under section 605 of such Act (as added by section 5), on or after the date of enactment, except as provided in section 7(b).