DemocratBill · S. 2688· Senate(119-S-2688)

District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act

Rep. Van Hollen
Age: 67 years
Maryland
Introduced
9/2/2025
Last activity
9/2/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Sponsored by
Chris Van Hollen
Cosponsors
Democrat - 11Republican - 0
Government Operations and Politics
  1. Introduced
  2. In Committee

What this bill would do

This bill is titled the District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act. It gives the Mayor of the District of Columbia the same authority over the District of Columbia National Guard that state governors have over their state National Guards. The legislation updates multiple existing laws, including the D.C. Official Code, Title 10 of the United States Code, and Title 32 of the United States Code, to replace references regarding National Guard command with the Mayor. Responsibilities transferred to the Mayor include serving as commander-in-chief, appointing commissioned officers, calling the guard to duty, and managing personnel and training matters. Finally, the bill amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to remove specific references to the National Guard of the District of Columbia.

Yes· 3 of 5

  • Does this leave more decisions to the states?+7

    Grants the District of Columbia leadership the same National Guard authorities exercised by state governors.

  • Would people in cities be better off under this?+6

    Enhances local governance and emergency management capabilities for the urban residents of the District of Columbia.

  • Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?+5

    Empowers the D.C. Mayor to deploy the National Guard for local natural disasters and civil emergencies, improving disaster response capabilities.

The opposite

  • Does this give the federal government more power?-5

    Transfers authority from the federal government to local district leadership, reducing federal oversight over the D.C. National Guard.