S. 2688: District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, titled the District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act, seeks to grant the Mayor of the District of Columbia the same authority over the National Guard as governors have over their respective state National Guards. Here are the main aspects of the bill:

Key Provisions

Authority Transfer: The bill transfers various command and administrative responsibilities from the President of the United States to the Mayor of the District of Columbia. This includes the ability to act as the Commander-in-Chief of the District of Columbia National Guard.
Reserves and Appointments: The Mayor would have the authority related to the reserve corps and the appointment of commissioned officers in the National Guard, aligning the District's National Guard with those of the states.
Call to Duty: It changes the language in several sections of existing law to reflect that the Mayor would have the authority to call the National Guard into duty, rather than the President.
Court Martial Authority: The Mayor would also have authority over general court martial proceedings for the National Guard.
Training Responsibilities: The Mayor would be responsible for ensuring satisfactory performance of prescribed training for the National Guard.

Conforming Amendments

The bill also includes amendments to existing federal and district codes to ensure that the references to the President are replaced with the Mayor of the District of Columbia in various legal contexts, including:

Commanding officer appointments.
Responsibilities for maintenance and drug interdiction activities involving the National Guard.
Authority related to active-duty orders and relocations.

Impact on Local Governance

The changes proposed in the bill aim to enhance the local governance of the District of Columbia by empowering its Mayor to oversee and manage the National Guard, similar to how mayors or governors manage their own state's forces. This includes operational control during emergencies such as natural disasters and civil disturbances, thereby streamlining the response process and potentially improving the effectiveness of the National Guard's deployment in local scenarios.