(B) that he has no intention of doing any act which would prevent him from being a qualified elector on November 15, 1949; and (C) facts indicating whether he is or is not domiciled in the District of Columbia. (e) In administering the provisions of subsection (d) (3), the Charter Referendum Board shall prepare and use a registration affidavit form in which each request for information is readily understandable and can be satisfied by a concise answer or mark. With respect to each requirement named in or imposed by such subsection, the Board may make such requests for specific information as in its judgment may be necessary or appropriate to show whether a person seeking to register meets such requirement. (f) In any case where a person is not permitted to register, such person may appeal to the Charter Referendum Board, but not later than October 3, 1949. The Board shall decide within seven days after the appeal is perfected whether the challenged elector is entitled to register. If the appeal is denied, the appellant may, within three days after such denial, appeal to the Municipal Court for the District of Columbia. The court shall decide the issue not later than November 8, 1949. If the appeal is upheld by either the Board or the Court, the challenged elector shall be allowed to register immediately. CHARTER REFERENDUM BALLOT; NOTICE OF VOTING SEC. 1904. (a) The charter referendum ballot shall contain the following, with the blank space appropriately filled: “The District of Columbia Charter Act, enacted 1949, proposes to establish a new charter for the District of Columbia, but provides that the charter shall take effect only if it is accepted by the registered qualified electors of the District in this referendum. "By marking a cross (X) in one of the squares provided below, show whether you are for or against the charter. 0 For the charter Against the charter" (b) Voting may be by paper ballot or by voting machine. The Board of Elections may make such changes in the second paragraph of the charter referendum ballot as it determines to be necessary to permit the use of voting machines if such machines are used. (c) Not later than November 1, 1949, the Charter Referendum Board shall mail to each person registered (1) a sample of the charter referendum ballot, and (2) information showing the polling place of such person and the date and hours of voting. (d) Not later than November 8, 1949, the Charter Referendum Board shall publish, in daily newspapers of general circulation published in the District of Columbia, a list of the polling places and the date and hours of voting. METHOD OF VOTING SEC. 1905. The applicable provisions of section 1311, with respect to method of voting, notwithstanding the fact that such section does not otherwise take effect unless the charter is accepted under this title, shall govern the conduct of voting in the charter referendum, except that for such purpose (1) references therein to the Board of Elections shall be considered to apply to the Charter Referendum Board; and (2) the Charter Referendum Board shall appoint suitable watchers at each polling place. ACCEPTANCE OR NONACCEPTANCE OF CHARTER SEC. 1906. (a) If a majority of the registered qualified electors voting in the charter referendum vote for the charter, the charter shall be considered accepted as of the time the Charter Referendum Board certifies the result of the charter referendum to the President of the United States, as provided in subsection (b). (b) The Charter Referendum Board shall, within a reasonable time, but in no event later than December 21, 1949, certify the result of the charter referendum to the President of the United States and to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives. 95148-49 INTERFERENCE WITH REGISTRATION OR VOTING SEC. 1907. (a) No one shall interfere with the registration or voting of another person, except as it may be reasonably necessary in the performance of a duty imposed by law. No person performing, such a duty shall interfere with the registration or voting of another person because of his race, color, sex, or religious belief, or his want of property or income. (b) No registered voter shall be required to perform a military duty on the day of the charter referendum which would prevent him from voting, except in time of war or public danger or unless he is away from the District of Columbia in military service. No registered voter may be arrested while voting or going to vote except for a breach of the peace then committed or for treason or felony. VIOLATIONS Sec. 1908. Whoever willfully violates any provision of this title, or of any regulation prescribed and published by the Charter Referendum Board under authority of this title, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. TITLE XX-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION Sec. 2001. (a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1952, and for each fiscal year thereafter, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated (in lieu of the authorization contained in article VI of the District of Columbia Revenue Act of 1947), as the annual payment by the United States toward defraying the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia, the sum of $1,000,000 plus whichever of the two following amounts is the smaller: (A) 14 per centum of the total amount of revenue received by the District (from all sources except the United States) during the fiscal year ending one year before the beginning of the year for which the payment is to be made, or (B) $15,000,000. (b) Out of any amount appropriated under the authorization contained in subsection (a) of this section the sum of $1,000,000 shall be credited to the water fund of the District of Columbia, established by law (D. C. Code, 1940 edition, title 43, ch. 15), and the remainder shall be credited to the general fund of the District of Columbia. (c) If the charter is accepted pursuant to title XIX (1) the Director of the Bureau of the Budget shall, after June 30 and on or before December 31 of each year, beginning with the calendar year 1950, certify to the District Manager the amount authorized by subsection (a) of this section to be appropriated for the next fiscal year, and (2) any amount appropriated under such authorization shall (on or before July 31 of the fiscal year for which the payment is made) be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Director of the Department of Finance. (H. R. 2505, 81st Cong., 1st sess.) A BILL To provide for home rule and reorganization in the District of Columbia Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act, divided into titles and sections according to the following table of contents, may be cited as the “District of Columbia Charter Act." TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE I-DEFINITIONS Sec. 101. Definitions. TITLE II-JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Sec. 201. Creation and functions. TITLE III-DELEGATE TO CONGRESS TITLE IV-THE DISTRICT COUNCIL PART 1-CREATION OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL Sec. 401. Creation and membership. PART 2-PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL Sec. 421. Functions heretofore exercised by the Board of Commissioners. PART 3-ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL Sec. 431. The Mayor. TITLE V--ACTION BY CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT ON LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS Sec. 501. Deposit and publication. TITLE VI-THE DISTRICT MANAGER Sec. 601, Appointment, qualifications, and salary. TITLE VII-THE DISTRICT BUDGET TITLE VIII-BORROWING PART 1- BORROWING FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Sec. 801. Borrowing power; debt limitation. of legislative proposals. PART 2 SHORT-TERM BORROWING Sec. 821. Borrowing to meet emergency appropriations. PART 3---PAYMENT OF BONDS AND NOTES Sec. 831. Payment of bonds and notes. TITLE IX-FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT PART 1-FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION PART 2-ANNUAL POST AUDIT BY GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE Sec. 921. Independent annual post audit. TITLE X-THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS TITLE XI-BOARD OF EDUCATION Sec. 1101, Creation and membership. TITLE XIII-ELECTIONS IN THE DISTRICT Sec. 1301. Board of elections. TITLE XIV-INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, AND RECALL TITLE XV-MISCELLANEOUS Sec. 1501. Agreements with United States. TITLE XVI-SUCCESSION IN GOVERNMENT Sec. 1601. Transfer of personnel, property, and funds. TITLE XVII-SEPARABILITY OF PROVISIONS TITLE XVIII–TEMPORARY PROVISIONS TITLE XIX-EFFECTIVE DATES TITLE XX-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION Sec. 2001. Authorization of appropriation. TITLE I-DEFINITIONS DEFINITIONS Sec. 101. For the purposes of this Act (1) The term "Joint committee” means the Joint Committee on the District of Columbia provided for by title II. (2) The term “District” means the District of Columbia. (3) The term "Delegate” means the Delegate from the District of Columbia provided for by title III. (4) The term "District Council” means the Council of the District of Columbia provided for by title IV. (5) The term “Mayor" means the Mayor of the city of Washington provided for by title IV. (6) The term “District Manager” means the District Manager provided for by title VI. (7) The term "qualified elector” means a qualified elector of the District as specified in section 1306 (b). (8) The term “expenditure”, when applied to any period of time, includes an obligation to expend incurred during such period, but does not include a disbursement made in such period if the obligation to make such disbursement was incurred in a prior period. (9) The term “person” includes an individual, partnership, association, jointstock company, trust, or corporation. (10) The term “budget year” means the fiscal year for which any particular budget becomes effective and in which such budget is administered. (11) The term "capital project”, or "project”, means (a) any physical public betterment or improvement and any preliminary studies and surveys relative thereto; (b) the acquisition of property of a permanent nature; or (c) the purchase of equipment for any public betterment or improvement when first erected or acquired. |