District of Columbia Courts Home Rule Act

This bill would expand local control over the District of Columbia’s judiciary. By amending the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, it would remove a specific prohibition that currently prevents the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting certain laws about the courts. In effect, the bill would authorize the DC Council to pass local laws relating to how the District’s courts are organized and what governs their jurisdiction. The change would increase the District’s self-rule over its own court system, though it would still operate within the framework of federal law and Congress’s ongoing authority over DC. At this stage, the bill simply changes who has the authority to regulate the organization and jurisdiction of DC courts. It does not itself specify any particular organizational reforms or jurisdictional changes; those would be determined by future DC Council legislation if the bill becomes law.