Have questions about how bills are made into D.C. law? Confused about what the D.C. Council is? We got you! Check out these frequently asked questions to learn more about how laws are made in the District.
Who is the D.C. Council?
The D.C. Council is the District’s 13-member legislative body, tasked with making laws for the District. These thirteen individuals consist of eight members representing each of D.C.’s wards, four at-large members representing all D.C. constituencies, and a chairperson. Council Members are elected to serve staggered four-year terms, with elections occurring every two years.
What is the structure of D.C. legislation?
- Executive Branch – consists of the Executive Office of the Mayor, deputy mayors, and agency directors
- Legislative Branch - consists of the D.C. Council and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners
- Judicial Branch - consists of the D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Court of Appeals
- Elections
- Positions elected during the same year as presidential elections: Council members for Wards 1, 3, 5, and 6, as well as two of the at-large seats
- Positions elected during mid-terms: Mayor, the Chair of the D.C. Council the Attorney General, and the Council members for Wards 2, 4, 7, and 8, as well as two of the at-large seats
How are bills made into law in the District?
The D.C. Council has a great resource for learning about how a bill becomes law:
Does D.C.'s lack of statehood affect how bills are made into law?
- All permanent legislation that the D.C. Council and Mayor approve must also be approved by Congress.
- D.C. is subject to Congress’s appropriations process. This mainly means that Congress can put “riders” (restrictions) to prohibit the District from spending certain types of funds on certain things. There are currently two major congressional riders in place for D.C. One bans D.C. from legalizing the sale of recreational cannabis (known as the “Harris Rider) by preventing the District from being able to tax or regulate them in any way. The other prohibits D.C. from using funds to cover abortions for low-income people.
- D.C. cannot pass laws regarding the following:
- D.C. Courts (D.C. does get to appoint its own judges)
- D.C. criminal prosecution
- D.C. residents incarcerated in federal facilities
- Raising height limitations on buildings
- Taxing non-D.C. residents
How can I testify?
This D.C. Council webpage gives a list of phone numbers for all the committees, for folks into inquire about how to testify specifically for that committee.
We also have additional resources to help residents create their written testimony.
Who's my Councilmember?
Looking for your Councilmember? We're here to help.
Step One: Head to the dc.gov website to discover what Ward you live in. (If you know your Ward already, skip this step
Step Two: Once you know your ward, the D.C. Council website has an updated list of each Ward's Councilmember.