District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act
Latest action · Jul 18, 2012 Became Public Law No: 112-145.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 6, 2012
- Passed HouseFeb 29, 2012
- Passed SenateJul 12, 2012
- To the PresidentJul 16, 2012
- Became lawJul 18, 2012Public Law 112-145
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on February 29, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act - Amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to require the Board of Elections and Ethics, in filling the following vacancies, to hold a special election in the District on the first Tuesday occurring between 70 and 174 days (currently, the first Tuesday occurring more than 114 days) after the vacancy occurs which the Board determines, based on a totality of the circumstances, taking into account, inter alia, cultural and religious holidays and the administrability of the election, will provide the greatest level of voter participation. Eliminates the specific alternative of a special election on the same day as the next general election (without eliminating the option of a special election on the same day as the next general election).
Applies this revised special election requirement to: (1) the Office of the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, (2) a Council member elected from a ward or elected at large, (3) the Office of the Mayor of the District, and (4) the Office of the Attorney General of the District.
Cosponsors
Members who signed on, in the order they did.
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Oversight and Government Reform Committee | Referred Feb 6, 2012Markup Feb 7, 2012 |
| Senate | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Referred Mar 1, 2012Markup Apr 25, 2012Reported Jul 12, 2012 |
| Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee | Referred Mar 12, 2012 |
Actions 21
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 18, 2012Signed by President.
- Jul 18, 2012Became Public Law No: 112-145.
- Jul 16, 2012By Senator Lieberman from Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs filed written report. Report No. 112-186.
- Jul 16, 2012Presented to President.
- Jul 12, 2012Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman without amendment. Without written report.
- Jul 12, 2012Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 448.
- Jul 12, 2012Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S4980)
- Jul 12, 2012Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Apr 25, 2012Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Mar 12, 2012Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.
- Mar 1, 2012Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Feb 29, 2012Mr. Issa moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Feb 29, 2012Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1085-1087)
- Feb 29, 2012DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3902.
- Feb 29, 2012Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1085-1086)
- Feb 29, 2012Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Feb 7, 2012Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Feb 7, 2012Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- Feb 6, 2012Introduced in House
- Feb 6, 2012Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E147)
- Feb 6, 2012Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4980 | Harry Reid D-NV | Jul 12, 2012 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1085–H1087Text printed H1085 | Darrell Issa R-CA, Eleanor Holmes Norton D-DC | Feb 29, 2012 |
| House · Extensions | Debate and remarks E147Lists H512H.R. 3902–3910 | Eleanor Holmes Norton D-DC | Feb 6, 2012 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2
- Apr 30, 2012H.R. 3902, the District of Columbia Special Election Reform ActAs ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on April 25, 2012
- Feb 20, 2012H.R. 3902, District of Columbia Special Election Reform ActCost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 7, 2012
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H512.
CRS reports 3
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 3
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47927 | District of Columbia Local Lawmaking and Congressional Authority | Report | Mar 11, 2026 |
| R45104 | Guide to Committee Activity Reports: Purpose, Rules, and Contents | Report | Jun 2, 2025 |
| R41832 | Pakistan-U.S. Relations Archived | Report | May 24, 2012 |
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to revise the timing of special elections for local office in the District of Columbia.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act
- Short Titles as Passed House
- District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act
- Short Titles as Enacted
- District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Jul 12, 2012Reported to Senate
- Mar 1, 2012Referred in Senate
- Feb 29, 2012Engrossed in House
- Feb 6, 2012Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
