District of Columbia Courts Home Rule Act

This bill lets the D.C. Council make its own laws about how the District’s courts are set up and what kinds of cases they can hear. It does this by removing a federal limit in the Home Rule law that blocked the Council from changing court organization and jurisdiction (it strikes paragraph (4) in Section 602(a) of the Home Rule Act).

Key points:

• Who is affected: People who live in D.C., anyone who uses D.C. courts, and court staff and judges.
• What changes: The D.C. Council would gain clear power to set up and adjust the structure and powers of D.C. courts, instead of being restricted by federal law.
• When: It would take effect after becoming law, allowing the Council to pass future court-related rules.