District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act
Public Law 112-145 · H.R. 3902 · 112th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jul 18, 2012 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-DC)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
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.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.
- Jul 18, 2012Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-145.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 16, 2012FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- FloorFloor · By Senator Lieberman from Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs filed written report. Report No. 112-186.
- Jul 12, 2012FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 448.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman without amendment. Without written report.
- Apr 25, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Mar 12, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.
- Mar 1, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Feb 29, 2012FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3902.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Issa moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Feb 7, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Feb 6, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E147)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.