Washington, D.C. Residents Voting Act
This bill, titled the Washington, D.C. Residents Voting Act, would retrocede the District of Columbia back to the State of Maryland, effectively dissolving DC as a separate municipal entity and transferring much of its local jurisdiction to Maryland. However, it creates a defined “Federal District” that would continue to serve as the permanent seat of the U.S. government and remain under exclusive federal authority. Maryland would only accept retrocession if it enacts its own enabling law, and the President would issue a proclamation confirming acceptance within 30 days of Maryland’s action. In addition to retrocession, the bill makes sweeping reforms: it reorganizes how federal functions operate in the former DC area (including renaming federal courts to reflect the new “Federal District”), moves the DC National Guard to the Maryland National Guard, makes Maryland criminal and certain traffic laws applicable in the Federal District, and modifies how federal elections work for residents of the Federal District (allowing them to vote in federal elections in the state of their most recent domicile). It also repeals the law that provided DC with a voting representative in Congress and ends DC participation in the presidential election process. The bill contains detailed transitional provisions for pending legal matters, contracts, and personnel, and it lays out timelines and boundaries for the newly defined Federal District.
Key Points
- 1Retrocession mechanism
- 2- DC would be ceded back to Maryland, effective after a presidential proclamation issued once Maryland enacts its acceptance law.
- 3- The Federal District would not be ceded and would remain the permanent seat of the U.S. government, governed by Congress.
- 4Federal District boundaries and description
- 5- The act defines a specific, metes-and-bounds boundary for a new Federal District that includes major federal monuments and government buildings on and around the Mall and Capitol.
- 6- A formal metes-and-bounds survey would be completed within 180 days of enactment.
- 7- The Frances Perkins Building (and possibly portions north of D Street) would be included in the Federal District.
- 8National Guard and federal jurisdiction
- 9- The DC National Guard would be transferred into the Maryland National Guard and would operate under Maryland control.
- 10- Numerous references to DC-specific authorities in other laws would be updated to reflect the new Federal District/ Maryland arrangement.
- 11Laws and governance in the Federal District
- 12- Maryland criminal laws (and Maryland traffic laws) would apply in the Federal District, effectively making them applicable state laws within the district.
- 13- The Federal District would no longer function as a municipal corporation; its local government structure would be dissolved.
- 14Title II: Interests of the Federal Government
- 15- The United States would retain title to federal property in the area; Maryland would obtain title to property DC held before retrocession.
- 16- Federal courts would be renamed and reorganized to reflect the “Federal District” nomenclature (e.g., DC courts renamed to Federal District courts).
- 17Federal elections and representation
- 18- DC residents would be permitted to participate in federal elections in the state of their most recent domicile (i.e., potential alignment with Maryland for federal elections).
- 19- The Office of the Delegate from the District of Columbia would be repealed (no DC non-voting delegate in Congress).
- 20- The law that currently allows DC to participate in the presidential election would be repealed.
- 21Transitional provisions
- 22- Existing actions, contracts, and interstate compacts would continue or be treated as the responsibility of Maryland or the United States under the new arrangement.
- 23- Succession rules would designate Maryland as legal successor to the District of Columbia for most purposes.