HR 5092119th CongressIn Committee

District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act

Introduced: Sep 2, 2025

Sponsor: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-District of Columbia)

Civil Rights & Justice

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, introduced by Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, would repeal a federal authority that currently allows the President to assume emergency control of the District of Columbia police. By striking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act and removing the related table-of-contents entry, the bill would keep control of DC police firmly in the hands of local elected leaders and the District government, even in emergencies. In short, it removes a potential federal takeover mechanism and reinforces home-rule governance over policing in the District.

Key Points

1Repeals presidential emergency authority over DC police. The bill would strike the provision that authorizes the President to assume emergency control of the District of Columbia Police Department.
2Amends the DC Home Rule Act by removing Section 740. This is the legal basis for the presidential authority; repealing it removes that power.
3Clerical/operational effect. The repeal includes deleting the corresponding item from the act’s table of contents, aligning the statute with the removal of the authority.
4Sponsor and process. Introduced in the House by Ms. Norton; referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
5Scope of change. The bill does not alter other aspects of DC self-government or policing statutes beyond removing this presidential emergency authority.

Impact Areas

Primary: District of Columbia residents and the DC Police Department. Local authorities would retain full authority over policing decisions, even in emergencies.Secondary: Federal-District relations. The federal government would no longer have a statutorily defined power to take emergency control of DC police, potentially affecting intergovernmental coordination during major crises.Additional impacts: Emergency planning and crisis response dynamics in DC. The change could influence how rapid response and crisis management are handled in extreme events, requiring reliance on local authorities unless other federal mechanisms or statutes apply.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 8, 2025