District of Columbia CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Art. I §1 | LEGISLATIVE POWER
Art. I §2 | COMPOSITION; ELECTION OF MEMBERS; VACANCIES
2. Four members shall be elected on a partisan basis at large by the qualified voters of the State of Washington, D.C.
3. Sixteen members shall be elected on a partisan basis, 2 by the qualified voters of each of the 8 legislative districts of the State of Washington, D.C.
c. The term of office for Representatives shall be 4 years, and shall begin at noon on January 2nd of the year following a Representative’s election. Representatives shall be elected in accordance with the schedule established pursuant to Article VIII, Sec. 1(b) of this Constitution.
d. The Legislative Assembly may establish its committee structure by Resolution.
e. By a 4/5 vote of its Representatives, the Legislative Assembly may adopt a Resolution of expulsion of one of its Representatives, if it finds, based on substantial evidence, that the Representative took an action that amounts to a gross failure to meet the applicable standards of personal and professional conduct.
f.
(2) In the event of a vacancy in the Office of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly not caused by a vacancy in the Office of Governor, the Legislative Assembly shall select by majority vote a Representative elected at large who shall serve as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, until certification by the Board of Elections of the election of a successor in a special election to fill such vacancy.
(3) In the event of a vacancy in the Legislative Assembly of a Representative elected at large who is affiliated with a political party, the state committee of such political party shall appoint a person to fill such vacancy until certification by the Board of Elections of the election of a successor in a special election to fill such vacancy. The person appointed to fill such vacancy shall take office within 2 days of the appointment. With respect to a vacancy of a Representative elected at large who is not affiliated with any political party, the Legislative Assembly shall appoint a similarly non-affiliated person to fill such vacancy until certification by the Board of Elections of the election of a successor in a special election to fill such vacancy. Such person appointed by the Legislative Assembly shall take office within 2 days of the appointment.
Art. I §3 | QUALIFICATIONS FOR HOLDING OFFICE
(2) resides in and is domiciled in the State of Washington, D.C. and if nominated for election from a particular legislative district, resides in the district from which that person is nominated;
(3) has resided and been domiciled in the State of Washington, D.C. for one year immediately preceding the day on which the general or special election for such office is to be held; and
(4) holds no public office (other than Representative of the Legislative Assembly), for which that person is compensated in an amount in excess of actual expenses incurred in connection therewith. Nothing in this clause shall prohibit any person, while a Representative of the Legislative Assembly, from serving as an official of or delegate to a convention of a political party.
c. A Representative of the Legislative Assembly shall forfeit the office upon failure to maintain the qualifications required by this section or upon conviction of a felony.
Art. I §4 | ACTS; RESOLUTIONS; PROCEDURES; AND SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, the Legislative Assembly shall use Acts for all legislative purposes.
(3) The Legislative Assembly shall hold 2 readings for all Acts, except upon declaration by two-thirds of its members of exigent circumstances, in which case such Act shall only be effective for a period not to exceed 90 days.
(4) Resolutions shall be used:
(B) to approve or disapprove proposed actions as authorized by an Act of the Legislative Assembly or of a kind historically or traditionally transmitted to the Council of the District of Columbia under the laws of the former District of Columbia. Such Resolutions must be specifically authorized by Act and must be designed to implement that Act.
c. An Act adopted by the Legislative Assembly shall be presented by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to the Governor, who shall, within 10 calendar days after the Act is presented, either approve or disapprove such Act. To approve an Act, the Governor shall affix the Governor’s signature to it, and such Act shall become law. To disapprove such Act, the Governor shall, within 10 calendar days after it is presented to the Governor, return such Act to the Legislative Assembly setting forth in writing the reasons for such disapproval. If any Act so adopted shall not be returned to the Legislative Assembly by the Governor within 10 calendar days after being presented to the Governor, the Governor shall be deemed to have approved it, and such Act shall become law unless the Legislative Assembly, when in a recess of 10 days or more, prevents its return, in which case it shall not become law.
d. If, within 30 calendar days after an Act has been timely returned by the Governor to the Legislative Assembly with the Governor’s disapproval, two-thirds of the members of the Legislative Assembly present and voting vote to reenact such Act, the Act shall become law without the Governor’s signature.
(2) If, within 30 calendar days after any such Budget Act has been timely returned by the Governor to the Legislative Assembly, two-thirds of the members of the Legislative Assembly present and voting vote to reenact any such item or provision, it shall become law.
g. By Act, the Legislative Assembly shall have authority to create or abolish any office, agency, department, or instrumentality of the State of Washington, D.C. not established in this Constitution, and to define the powers, duties, and responsibilities of any such office, agency, department, or instrumentality.
h. The Legislative Assembly, or any Committee or person authorized by it, shall have the power, as otherwise authorized by the rules of the Legislative Assembly, to investigate any matter relating to the affairs of the State of Washington, D.C., and for that purpose may issue subpoenas and administer oaths to require the attendance and testimony and the production of evidence. In conducting a lawful investigation, the Legislative Assembly or one of its Committees may seek enforcement of any subpoena it issues in the Superior Court of the State of Washington, D.C.
i. The Legislative Assembly may, by Resolution, call for an advisory referendum upon any matter upon which the Legislative Assembly desires to take action.
j. A majority of the number of non-vacant seats of the Legislative Assembly shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
k. The Legislative Assembly may establish by its rules what number of members constitutes a quorum for holding hearings or voting in a committee of the Legislative Assembly.
l. Each 10 calendar day period referenced in this section excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
Art. I §5 | SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
b. When the Office of Governor is vacant, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly shall act in the Governor's stead. While acting as Governor, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly shall not exercise any authority as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly or as a member of the Legislative Assembly. While the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is acting as Governor, the Legislative Assembly shall select one of the elected at-large members of the Legislative Assembly to serve as Speaker, until the return of the elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Art. I §6 | LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS
Art. I §7 | ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONS
b. No person shall hold the office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner unless that person:
(2) is a qualified voter of the State of Washington, D.C.; and
(3) has resided and been domiciled in the State of Washington, D.C. for 1 year immediately preceding the day on which the general or special election for such office is to be held.
(2) employ staff and expend public funds as authorized by the annual budget for the State of Washington, D.C. for public purposes within its neighborhood commission area; and
(3) have such other advisory powers and responsibilities as the Legislative Assembly may establish by Act.
Art. I §8 | AUDITOR
b. The Auditor may conduct audits and investigations of the accounts and operations of the government of the State of Washington, D.C. in accordance with such principles and procedures and under such rules and regulations as the Auditor may prescribe. Such audits and investigations shall include those required by law and such others as may be referred to it by the Legislative Assembly. In the determination of the auditing procedures to be followed and the extent of the examination of vouchers and other documents and records, the Auditor shall give due regard to generally accepted principles of auditing including the effectiveness of the accounting organizations and systems, internal audit and control, and related administrative practices.
c. The Auditor shall have access to all books, accounts, records, reports, findings and other papers, things, or property belonging to or in use by any department, agency, or other instrumentality of the State of Washington, D.C. necessary to facilitate the audit. Release of information by the Auditor shall be subject to the restrictions as are applicable to the agency from which the Auditor obtained the information.
d. The Auditor shall submit audit reports to the Legislative Assembly, the Governor, and other independent executive offices. Such reports shall set forth the scope of the audit and shall include such comments and information as the Auditor may deem necessary to keep the Legislative Assembly, Governor, and independent executive offices informed of the operations to which the reports relate, together with such recommendations with respect thereto as the Auditor may deem advisable.
e. The Auditor shall make such reports, together with such other material as the Auditor deems pertinent thereto, available for public inspection.
f. The Governor or independent executive offices shall state in writing to the Legislative Assembly, within an appropriate time, what action has been taken to effectuate the recommendations made by the Auditor.
g. The Auditor may be removed for cause by two-thirds vote of the Legislative Assembly. The appointment of a successor, or to otherwise fill a vacancy, shall be for a term of 6 years.
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