S. 51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

This bill was introduced in the 117th Congress by Senator Carper of Delaware.

U.S. Senate. Washington, D.C. Admission Act. S. 51 – 117th Congress. Washington, D.C.:

Government Publishing Office, 2021. Online,

https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s51/BILLS-117s51is.pdf (Accessed November 6, 2021).

"To provide for the admission of Washington, D.C. into the Union."

S. 51, “Washington, D.C. Admission Act,” is an Act to admit the District of Columbia into the Union as the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. It was introduced in the Senate on January 26, 2021, by Senator Thomas Carper of Delaware. It is identical to H.R. 51, introduced in the House of Representatives on January 4, 2021, by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. Title I addresses admission procedures, the seat of the Federal government, and the transition from municipality to State. Title II concerns Federal Property, Federal Courts, and Federal Elections. Title III outlines programs and agencies that will continue under this Act. Finally, Title IV creates the Statehood Transition Commission, defines key terms, and states the severability of each provision of the Act.

Effectiveness

While this bill provides insight into the most recent D.C. Statehood legislation, it may be confusing for readers unfamiliar with legislative language. It does answer the questions most readers might have, such as what the new state will be called, how the Federal government will be separated from the State, and how D.C. voters will be represented in elections and Congress. However, this 99 page document also includes pages of geographic descriptions of the boundaries of the Capital, pages of specific instances where District of Columbia will be replaced with Capital, and other dense, detailed descriptions of policies and procedures. The length of the document makes it difficult to navigate between sections of interest. Users questioning how the legislation addresses specific aspects of statehood will find this resource helpful, especially those users with a government or legal background. Those seeking to understand what statehood means for the average citizen might find a more readable and accessible answer in the bill summary.