(e) Candidates for at-large delegates to the constitutional convention shall submit to the Board of Elections for certification, a nonpartisan nominating petition which shall contain the signatures of at least twenty-five registered electors from each of the eight election wards, and shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable filing fee of $25. Candidates for the ward delegate positions shall submit to the Board of Elections for certification, a nonpartisan nominating petition which shall contain the signatures of at least fifty registered electors from the election ward in which the delegate-candidate will be nominated, and shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable filing fee of $15. The Board of Elections shall certify and validate that each candidate has obtained the required number of valid signatures for nomination. Nominating petitions for all candidates shall be available ninety days prior to the election, and shall be filed with the Board of Elections prior to forty-five days of the election. The Board of Elections shall certify that the candidates have been qualified for nomination within ten days following the submission of the nominating petition.

(f) The nominating petitions, ballots, or voting machines, if they are to be used, shall show no party affiliation, emblem, or slogan.

(g) To be elected as delegate to the constitutional convention, a candidate shall receive a plurality of the legal votes cast in the election for that position to which the candidate aspires.

(h) Each of the elected delegates and the selected delegates, as authorized by subsection (c) of this section, shall be entitled to receive $20 per diem when engaged in the performance of the duties of the constitutional convention, except that a delegate who is also an officer or employee of the United States or District of Columbia shall not be entitled to receive such per diem for any day for which he is compensated by the United States or District of Columbia for his services as such officer or employee.

(i) The constitutional convention shall have the power to

(1) appoint and fix the compensation of an Executive Director, and such additional staff personnel as it deems necessary, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, but at rates not in excess of the maximum rate for GS18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of such title; and

(2) procure temporary and intermittent services to the same extent as is authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed $100 a day for individuals.

(j) The District of Columbia government shall furnish such space and facilities in public buildings in the District as the constitutional convention may reasonably request, and shall provide the constitutional convention with such records. information, and other services as may be required by the constitutional convention for carrying out its function. In the event that public buildings of adequate size and convenience are not available, the constitutional convention may lease private facilities.

(k) Hearings of the constitutional convention shall be open to the public and shall be held at reasonable hours and at such places as to accommodate a reasonable number of spectators. Meetings of the constitutional convention shall likewise be open to the public and shall to an extent reasonable be made known to the public and held in such places to accommodate the public. Notices of hearings, meetings, and of the transactions of the constitutional convention shall be published in each of the daily newspapers of general circulation in the District of Columbia.

(1) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to advance not in excess of $250,000, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the constitutional convention for such expenses as it may have in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under this Act.

(m) The Secretary of the Treasury is further authorized and directed to advance to the District of Columbia the sum of $200,000, out of any expenses of the Board of Elections in carrying out the election and referendums authorized in sections 1 and 3(b) of this Act, and in otherwise carrying out the provisions of this Act.

(n) The full amount advanced pursuant to this section shall be reimbursed to the United States, without interest, during the third fiscal year which begins after the enactment of this Act, from the general funds of the State of Columbia.

SEC. 4. (a) Subject to the approval of the proposition specified in the first section of this Act, there is hereby established an advisory commission to be known as the "State of Columbia Advisory Commission" (hereafter referred to as the "Commission") which shall conduct a full and complete study of the necessary and appropriate legislative or administrative actions that must be taken in order to facilitate the transfer of authority and functions over that portion of the present District of Columbia which is to become the State of Columbia, as specified in the first section of this Act, from the Federal Government to the government of the State of Columbia.

(b) The Commission shall consist of thirteen members as follows:

(1) two members appointed by the President of the Senate from Members of the Senate, not more than one of whom shall be from the same political party;

(2) two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from Members of the House of Representatives, not more than one of whom shall be from the same political party;

(3) the Secretary of the Treasury, or his designee;

(4) the Secretary of the Interior, or his designee;

(5) the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, or his designee;

(6) the Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, or his designee;

(7) the Chairman of the District of Columbia City Council :

(8) the Commissioner of the District of Columbia, or his designee; and (9) three members appointed by the President of the United States, who shall be citizens of the District of Columbia and who shall not be officers or employees of the Federal Government.

(c) (1) A member of the Commission who is a Member of Congress, or who is otherwise an officer or employee of the Federal Government on the District of Columbia government, shail serve on the Commission without additional compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of duties vested in the Commission.

(2) A member of the Commission from private life shall receive $100 per diem when engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the Commission, plus reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of such duties.

(d) The Chairman of the Commission shall be selected by the members of the Commission.

(e) Seven members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.

(f) Members of the Commission shall be appoined for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy on the Commission shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.

SEC. 5. (a) The Commission shall conduct a full and complete study into the necessary and appropriate legislative, administrative, or other actions which must be taken in order to efficiently and equitably transfer the authority and functions over that part of the present District of Columbia, which is to become the State of Columbia, from the Federal Government to the government of the State of Columbia. The Commission shall give special consideration to the relationship that should be developed between the State of Columbia and the Federal Government with respect to securing and maintaining any special Federal interest in the State of Columbia and with respect to continued and cordial relations between the Federal Government and the government of the State of Columbia.

(b) In carrying out its study under this Act, the Commission is authorized and directed to consult with, and to obtain information, statistics, or other data from any Federal, District of Columbia, or State governmental agency, department, or instrumentality. Such agencies, departments, and instrumentalities are authorized, upon request by the Commission, to furnish to the Commission any information, statistics, or other data (consistent with law) that is requested.

(c) As soon as practicable, and in no case later than one hundred and eighty days after the establishment of the Commission, the Commission shall submit its recommendations, based on findings arrived at as a result of its study, for the appropriate action it deems necessary to complete the transfer the authority and functions as specified in subsection (a) of this section. Its final report shall be filled with the President of the United States, the Clerk of the House of Rep

resentatives, and the Secretary of the Senate. The Commission shall cease to exist on the tenth day after the date of its submission of its final report. SEC. 6. (a) The Commission shall for the purposes of carrying out its responsibilities under this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence, as the Commission deems advisable.

(b) The Commission shall have the power to

(1) appoint and fix the compensation of an Executive Director, and such additional staff personnel as it deems necessary, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, but at rates not in excess of the maximum rate for GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of such title; and (2) procure temporary and intermittent services to the same extent as it authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed $100 a day for individuals.

(c) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to make available, not in excess of $100,000, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for use in paying the expenses of the Commission as it may have in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under this Act.

ELECTED MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

BORROWING AND FEDERAL PAYMENT FORMULA

CHARTER REFERENDUM

H.R. 6141, 92d Cong., 1st sess., by Messrs. Harrington, Abourezk, Badillo, Begich, Burton, Carey (New York), Clay, Conte, Frenzel, Halpern, Koch, Mikva, Moss, O'Neill, Pepper, Rangel, Rees, Riegle, Rosenthal, Roy, Scheuer and Mrs. Chisholm, on March 16, 1971.

A BILL To provide for the District of Columbia an elected mayor, an elected city council, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, subject to the retention by Congress of the ultimate legislative authority over the Nation's Capital which is granted by the Constitution, it is the intent of Congress to restore to the inhabitants of the District of Columbia the powers of local self-government which are a basic privilege of all American citizens; to reaffirm through such action the confidence of the American people in the strengthened validity of principles of local selfgovernment by the elective process; to promote among the inhabitants of the District the sense of responsibility for the development and well-being of their community which will result from the enjoyment of such powers of self-government; to provide for the more effective participation in the development of the District and in the solution of its local problems by those persons who are most closely concerned; and to relieve the National Legislature of the burden of legislating upon purely local District matters. It is the further intention of Congress to exercise its retained ultimate legislative authority over the District only insofar as such action shall be necessary or desirable in the interest of the Nation.

STATUS OF THE DISTRICT

SEC. 101. All of the territory constituting the permanent seat of the Government of the United States shall continue to be designated as the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia shall remain and continue a body corporate, as provided in section 2 of the Revised Statutes relating to said District. Said Corporation shall continue to be charged with all the duties, obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities, and to be vested with all of the powers, rights, privileges, immunities, and assests, respectively, imposed upon and vested in said Corporation, the Commissioner, or the Appointed Council.

LEGISLATIVE POWERS

SEC. 111. The legislative power granted to the District by this Act shall be vested in the Council, and in the qualified voters of the District of Columbia (as provided in section 114 hereof).

SEC. 112. In addition to the powers vested in the Council elsewhere in this Act, and except as otherwise provided in this Act, the legislative power of the District shall extend to all rightful subjects of legislation in the District, consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and subject to all the restrictions and limitations imposed upon Congress and the States by the Constitution of the United States as it has been and may be from time to time amended.

SEC. 113. The Appointed Council of the District of Columbia, created by Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1967, is hereby abolished. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, all powers and functions granted to or imposed upon the Appointed Council by Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1967 and any other

powers possessed by the Appointed Council on the effective date of this Act are hereby transferred to the Council, and all powers and functions granted to or imposed upon the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Appointed Council by Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1967 and any other powers possessed by the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Appointed Council on the effective date of this Act are transferred to the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Council, respectively.

SEC. 114. (a) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the qualified voters of the District shall have the power, independent of the Mayor and Council, to propose and enact legislation relating to the District with respect to all rightful subjects of legislation consistent with the Constitution of the United States and the provisions of this Act.

(b) In exercising the power of initiative conferred upon the qualified voters by subsection (a) of this section, not less than 10 per centum of the number of qualified voters voting in the last preceding general election shall be required to propose any measure by an initiative petition. Every such petition shall include the full text of the measure so proposed and shall be filed with the Secretary of the Council to be submitted to a vote of the qualified voters. Any such petition which has been filed with the Secretary, and certified by him as sufficient, shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the District at the first general election which occurs not less than thirty days nor more than one year from the date on which the Secretary files his certificate of sufficiency. The Council shall, if no general election is to be held within such period, provide for a special election for the purpose of considering the petition.

(e) Upon receiving the certification of the Board of Elections of the results of any election held with respect to any measure proposed by an initiative petition, the Secretary of the Council, if such measure was approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the District voting thereon, shall within five calendar days thereafter present the petition containing such measure so approved, which was filed with him pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, to the President of the United States. Such measure shall become law unless, within ten calendar days after it is so presented to the President, he shall, in accordance with this subsection, disapprove the same. The President may, if he is satisfied that such measure adversely affects a Federal interest, disapprove it, in which event he shall return it, with his objections, to the Secretary and, notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, such measure shall not become law.

(d) If conflicting measures proposed at the same election law become law, the measure receiving the greatest number of affirmative votes shall prevail to the extent of such conflict.

(e) If, within thirty days after the filing of a petition, the Secretary has not specified the particulars in which a petition is defective, the petition shall be deemed certified as sufficient for purposes of this section.

(f) The style of all measures proposed by initiative petition shall be as follows: "Be it enacted by the People of the District of Columbia".

(g) The Board of Elections shall prescribe such regulations as may be neces sary or appropriate (1) with respect to the form, filing, examination, amendment, and certification of initiative petitions, and (2) with respect to the conduct of any election during which any such petition is considered.

(h) If any organization or group request it for the purpose of circulating descriptive matter relating to the measures proposed to be voted on, the Board of Elections shall either permit such organization or group to copy the names and addresses of the qualified electors or furnish it with a list thereof, at a charge to be determined by the Board of Elections, not exceeding the actual cost of reproducing such list.

SEC. 115. Neither the Council nor the qualified voters of the District of Columbia may

(a) impose any tax on property of the United States;

(b) lend the public credit for support of any private undertaking;

(c) authorize the issuance of bonds except in compliance with the provisions of this Act;

(d) authorize the use of public money in support of any sectarian denominational, or private school except as now or hereafter authorized by Congress;

(e) enact any legislation which (1) amends, repeals, or is inconsistent with any act of Congress which either (i) concerns the functions or prop