D.C. Law 24-242. Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022.

AN ACT

To amend the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 to expand the definition of the term qualified elector for the purpose of local elections to include otherwise eligible non-citizen residents.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022".

Sec. 2. The District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, approved August 12, 1955 (69 Stat. 699; D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.01 et seq.), is amended as follows:

(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.02) is amended as follows:

(1) Paragraph (2) is amended as follows:

(A) Subparagraph (B) is amended to read as follows:

"(B) Is a citizen of the United States; except, that this subparagraph shall not apply in a local election;".

(B) Subparagraph (C) is amended by striking the phrase "any state or territory" and inserting the phrase "any state, territory, or country" in its place.

(2) A new paragraph (34) is added to read as follows:

"(34) The term "local election" means:

"(A) An election for:

"(i) Mayor;

"(ii) Chairman or member of the Council;

"(iii) Attorney General;

"(iv) Member of the State Board of Education; or

"(v) Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner; or

"(B) An initiative, referendum, recall, or charter amendment measure on a District ballot.".

(b) Section 7 (D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.07) is amended as follows:

(1) The lead-in language of subsection (c)(1)(D) is amended by striking the phrase "this paragraph and stated that the applicant is a citizen of the United States," and inserting the phrase "this paragraph," in its place.

(2) Subsection (d)(14)(C) is amended by striking the phrase "that citizens" and inserting the phrase "that residents" in its place.

Sec. 3. Applicability.

(a) This act shall apply upon the date of inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan.

(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council of the certification.

(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in the District of Columbia Register.

(2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the applicability of this act.

Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 5. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.