D.C. Law 21-279. End Taxation Without Representation Amendment Act of 2016.

AN ACT

To amend the District of Columbia Revenue Act of 1937 to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to add the phrase "End Taxation Without Representation" to the standard motor-vehicle identification tag and to require the Mayor to design and issue a new motor-vehicle identification tag that includes the phrase "We Demand Statehood"; to amend the District of Columbia Statehood Constitutional Convention Initiative of 1979 to provide that fees for the "We Demand Statehood" motor-vehicle identification tags shall be deposited in the New Columbia Statehood Fund; and to amend the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009 to make conforming amendments.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "End Taxation Without Representation Amendment Act of 2016".

Sec. 2. Title IV of the District of Columbia Revenue Act of 1937, approved August 17, 1937 (50 Stat. 679; D.C. Official Code § 50-1501.01 et seq.), is amended as follows:

(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 50-1501.02) is amended by adding a new subsection (f-1) to read as follows:

"(f-1)(1) Identification tags designed pursuant to subsection (f)(3) of this section, not including identification tags for vehicles for-hire, motor vehicles bearing organization plates, motorcycles, or autocycles, shall display the phrase "End Taxation Without Representation".

"(2) An individual who does not wish to display the phrase "End Taxation Without Representation" on his or her identification tag may request an identification tag featuring an alternate design, to be supplied by the Department of Motor Vehicles.".

(b) Section 2b(a) (D.C. Official Code § 50-1501.02b(a)) is amended by striking the phrase "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION" and inserting the phrase "End Taxation Without Representation" in its place.

(c) Section 2c(a) (D.C. Official Code § 50-1501.02c(a)) is amended by striking the phrase "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION" and inserting the phrase "End Taxation Without Representation" in its place.

(d) A new section 2d is added to read as follows:

"Sec. 2d. We Demand Statehood motor-vehicle identification tags.

"(a) The Mayor shall design and make available for issue a red-and-white motor-vehicle identification tag that displays the phrase "We Demand Statehood".

"(b)(1) A resident ordering a "We Demand Statehood" identification tag designed and issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall pay a one-time application fee and a display fee each year thereafter. The application fee shall be $51 and the display fee shall be $26, or such other amounts as the Mayor may establish by rule.

"(2) The application fee and annual display fee shall be deposited into the New Columbia Statehood Fund, established by section 32 of the District of Columbia Statehood Constitutional Convention Initiative of 1979, effective May 2, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-271; D.C. Official Code § 1-129.32).".

(e) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 50-1501.03) is amended as follows:

(1) Subsection (a)(1) is amended by adding a new subparagraph (H) to read as follows:

"(H) Any person ordering a "We Demand Statehood" identification tag designed and made available pursuant to section 2d(a) shall pay the fees established pursuant to section 2d(b)(1).".

(2) Subsection (d) is amended as follows;

(A) Paragraph (4) is amended by striking the phrase "; and" and inserting a semicolon in its place.

(B) Paragraph (5) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting the phrase "; and" in its place.

(C) A new paragraph (6) is added to read as follows:

"(6) The fees collected for "We Demand Statehood" identification tags shall be deposited in the New Columbia Statehood Fund, established by section 32 of the District of Columbia Statehood Constitutional Convention Initiative of 1979, effective May 2, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-271; D.C. Official Code § 1-129.32).".

Sec. 3. Section 32(b)(1) of the District of Columbia Statehood Constitutional Convention Initiative of 1979, effective May 2, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-71; D.C. Official Code § 1-129.32(b)(1)), is amended as follows:

(a) Subparagraph (C) is amended by striking the phrase "; and" and inserting a semicolon in its place.

(b) Subparagraph (D) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon in its place.

(c) New subparagraphs (E) and (F) are added to read as follows:

"(E) Fees collected pursuant to section 2d of Title IV of the District of Columbia Revenue Act of 1937, passed on 2nd reading on December 20, 2016 (Enrolled version of Bill 21-708); and

"(F) Fees collected pursuant to section 3(d)(6) of Title IV of the District of Columbia Revenue Act of 1937, approved August 17, 1937 (50 Stat. 681; D.C. Official Code § 50-1501.03(d)(6)).".

Sec. 4. Section 8(a) of the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009, effective September 23, 2009 (D.C. Law 18-55; D.C. Official Code § 8-102.07(a)), is amended by striking the phrase "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION" and inserting the phrase "End Taxation Without Representation" in its place.

Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 6. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.

Law Information

Cites

  • D.C. Law 21-279 (PDF)
  • 64 DCR 966

Effective

Apr. 15, 2017

Legislative History

Law 21-279, the “End Taxation Without Representation Amendment Act of 2016,” was introduced in the Council and assigned Bill No. 21-708 which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and the Environment and Committee of the Whole. The bill was adopted on first and second readings on Dec. 6, 2016, and Dec. 20, 2016, respectively. After mayoral review, it was assigned Act No. 21-654 on Jan. 24, 2017, and transmitted to Congress for its review. D.C. Law 21-279 became effective Apr. 15, 2017.