The Initiative Amendment Act of 2025 aims to clarify the limitations on voter initiatives in the District of Columbia, particularly regarding their impact on appropriations. This legislation responds to a recent ruling by the DC Board of Elections that allowed initiatives to be proposed even if they would incur costs, as long as they were subject to appropriations. The bill seeks to ensure that initiatives do not bind the Council to allocate funds for proposals that may be financially burdensome, thereby maintaining the original intent of the Home Rule Act, which prohibits initiatives that require funding.

To implement this, the bill amends the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 by adding a provision that any proposed initiative must be subject to appropriations before it can take effect. Additionally, it requires the Board of Elections to request a fiscal impact statement from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer within one business day of receiving a proposed initiative, which must be issued within 15 business days. The bill also repeals a subsection that previously allowed for different interpretations regarding fiscal impacts, reinforcing the intent to prevent costly initiatives from being placed on the ballot.