Sponsors (44)
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Amends residency-language for circuit judges by striking 'Except in the District of Columbia, each' and inserting 'Each', and replaces 'within fifty miles of the District of Columbia' with 'within fifty miles of the Capital'.
Strikes paragraph (2) of section 21, redesignates paragraph (3) as (2), and removes specified text from the redesignated paragraph.
Amends section 3152 by adding a new subsection (d) providing for continuity of pretrial services by the Washington, Douglass Commonwealth Pretrial Services Agency upon admission of the State, and conditions for transition when State certification is received.
Amends the provision concerning appointment of United States Trustees by replacing 'the District of Columbia' with 'the Capital and Washington, Douglass Commonwealth'.
Multiple conforming amendments throughout title 28 and other titles renaming or replacing references to 'District of Columbia' with terms such as 'the Capital', 'Washington, Douglass Commonwealth', or related jurisdictional updates (affecting courts, venue, jurisdiction, and references in other laws).
Admits the District of Columbia as a new State called the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth once the President issues a proclamation, establishes rules for the State’s first federal elections, and increases the size of the U.S. House to 436 members to add the new Representative. It also designates a separate federal “Capital” area to remain under exclusive federal control for government, defense, and related functions and makes many legal and name-conforming changes (including renaming the District National Guard the “Capital National Guard”). Sets out how Federal interests and jurisdictions are handled after admission (including reserved federal legislative authority over certain defense and Coast Guard lands), preserves selected federal and local programs and legal authorities during a statehood transition, creates a Statehood Transition Commission to manage the change, and requires the President to certify enactment to local authorities within 60 days.
Declares the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth to be a State and admitted into the Union on equal footing with other States, once the President issues the proclamation required by section 103(a).
Requires that the State Constitution always be republican in form and not conflict with the U.S. Constitution or the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
Provides a nonseverability rule: if any part of section 101 is held invalid, then the rest of the Act and amendments made by the Act must be treated as invalid.
Requires the Mayor, not more than 30 days after receiving certification of enactment of the Act from the President (pursuant to section 403), to issue a proclamation for the first elections for 2 Senators and 1 Representative in Congress from the State.
For the first Senate elections, requires the two Senate offices to be separately identified and bars any person from being a candidate for both offices; also states that the labeling cannot refer to office terms or impair the Senate’s power to assign classes to Senators.
Who is affected and how:
Residents of the District (new State residents): Become residents of a State with full representation in Congress (two Senators and one Representative). They will vote in State and federal elections under the new State rules and will experience a transition of local governance and lawmaking as the State implements statutes and institutions. Many local services and legal frameworks will shift from municipal/federal District arrangements to State authority once transition certifications are made.
Federal government and agencies: Retains exclusive jurisdiction and legislative authority over specified federal properties, defense installations, and Coast Guard facilities within the designated Capital area. Federal agencies will continue to operate in the Capital area under clarified jurisdictional rules; statutory and administrative updates will be required to reflect the new State boundaries and reserved federal lands.
Members of Congress and the political system: The Senate gains two Members from the new State and the House is expanded by one Representative (to 436) for the admitting Congress, which may affect chamber arithmetic and committee composition. Congress will also have expedited procedures available to consider repeal of the 23rd Amendment.
Federal courts and justice system partners: Statutory changes affect court jurisdiction and certain prosecutorial and corrections arrangements; transitional provisions keep key justice functions operating while the State establishes its own criminal justice staffing and laws.
Federal and local employees and benefit recipients: People already qualifying for certain federal retirement and civil service benefits continue to receive them; employees in District/Capital roles may see administrative and organizational changes (including a rename of the District National Guard to the Capital National Guard).
Local institutions and service programs: Education, Medicaid-related administrative arrangements, and other federally influenced programs continue under specified rules during transition, but will eventually shift to State oversight after certification.
Short-term impacts: Operational and administrative complexity during the transition period, need for surveys and boundary definitions, legal and regulatory updates across federal and local statutes, and possible litigation or political disputes over jurisdictional lines and the 23rd Amendment.
Long-term impacts: Residents gain full congressional representation and State-level control over local matters; the federal government retains core defense/government lands and a distinct federal Capital area. The political balance at the federal level may be affected depending on the new Senators’ party alignment; local governance, law, and services will be reorganized under State authority once transition conditions are met.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Introduced January 9, 2025 by Christopher Van Hollen · Last progress January 9, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Introduced in Senate