BOWSER Act
Key claim: This bill would repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act one year after enactment, abolishing the District’s local charter and ending municipal authority to enact laws and hold local elections.
Abstract
(S4695 · 118th Congress) Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act or the BOWSER Act This bill repeals the District of Columbia (DC) Home Rule Act one year after the bill’s enactment. (The DC Home Rule Act provides a charter for the local government of the District of Columbia authorizing DC officials to legislate, conduct elections, and otherwise govern over local affairs.) Latest action (2024-07-11): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Why this matters
For District residents, the proposal would remove the Home Rule Act framework for electing local officials and enacting municipal laws, changing their means of influencing local governance. It raises questions about the balance between congressional authority over the District and residents’ local self-government; it remains an introduced proposal at committee referral, not a change in current law.