ENGROSSED ORIGINAL
1 A BILL
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3 23-684
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5 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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7 _______________________
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9 To amend, on a temporary basis, the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 provide
10 students with an excused absence of at least 2 hours to vote in person in any Board-run
11 election, or, if the student is not a District resident, in any election run by the jurisdiction
12 in which the student is registered to vote, and allow the educational institution to specify
13 the hours during which the student takes leave, including by requiring the student to take
14 leave during early voting.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
17 act may be cited as the Leave to Vote Temporary Amendment Act of 2020.
18 Sec. 2. The District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, approved August 12, 1955 (69
19 Stat. 699; D.C. Official Code 1-1001.01 et seq.), is amended by adding a new section 7a to
20 read as follows:
21 Sec. 7a. Leave to vote.
22 (a) For the purposes of this section, the term:
23 (1) Educational institution means any school in the District of Columbia
24 Public Schools system, a public charter school, an independent school, a private school, a
25 parochial school, or a private instructor in the District.
26 (2) Student means any person who is enrolled in an educational institution who
27 is eligible to vote.
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28 (b) Upon the request of a student, an educational institution shall provide the student an
29 excused absence of at least 2 hours to vote in person in any election held under this act, or, if the
30 student is not registered to vote in the District, in any election run by the jurisdiction in which the
31 student is registered to vote; provided, that the students educational institution may specify the
32 hours during which the student may take the leave, including by requiring that the student take
33 the leave during any period designated for early voting instead of on the day of the election..
34 Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.
35 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact
36 statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved
37 October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code 1-301.47a).
38 Sec. 4. Effective date.
39 (a) This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by
40 the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review
41 as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December
42 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of
43 Columbia Register.
44 (b) This act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.
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