(a) There is established as a special fund the New Columbia Statehood Fund, which shall be administered in accordance with subsections (b), (c), and (d) of this section.

(b)(1) All revenues from the following sources shall be deposited into the Fund:

(A) An annual appropriation;

(B) Any contributions to, and grants for, the benefit of the New Columbia Statehood Fund received from public and private sources;

(C) Net receipts pursuant to the income tax check-off provided in § 47-1812.11c;

(D) Donations accepted pursuant to § 1-155(d)(1);

(E) Fees collected pursuant to § 50-1501.02d; and

(F) Fees collected pursuant to § 50-1501.03(d)(6).

(2) For Fiscal Year 2015, all funds not expended pursuant to § 1-129.21(e) from the funds budgeted for Statehood Initiatives under § 1-301.154 shall be deposited into the Fund.

(c)(1) The Fund shall be used to support the Statehood Delegation, each of the members thereof, the Commission, and efforts to promote statehood and voting rights for the citizens of the District of Columbia.

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the Commission is authorized to provide for the expenditure of up to $24,000 per year from the Fund for the purposes provided in § 1-129.35(a).

(B) For Fiscal Year 2016, the Commission is authorized to provide for the expenditure of up to $12,000.

(d)(1) To the extent that disbursements are to be made to the Statehood Fund of each member of the Statehood Delegation, the disbursements, as decided by the Commission, shall be equal to each member, except as provided in this subsection.

(2) No disbursement shall be made under this subsection to a member of the District of Columbia Statehood Delegation who is out of compliance with the filing and disclosure requirements of this subpart and applicable District or federal law, or who has used funds in violation of § 1-129.35, until such time as the violation has been corrected. In this instance, the 1/3 disbursement held back shall become part of the corpus from which the next disbursement pursuant to this subsection may be made.

(e)(1) The money deposited into the Fund, and interest earned, shall not revert to the unrestricted fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of any fiscal year or at any other time.

(2) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.

(f) The Mayor shall submit to the Council, as part of the annual budget, a requested appropriation for expenditures from the Fund. The Mayor’s submission shall be based on a budget prepared by the Commission, and shall include the rationale for any variance from the Commission’s request.

(g) The Chief Financial Officer shall transmit to the Mayor and the Council, at least annually, a report summarizing the revenues and expenditures of the Fund.

(h) All revenues and expenses of the Fund shall be audited annually by the Chief Financial Officer, who shall transmit the audit to the Mayor and the Council. The expenses of the annual audit shall be defrayed by the Fund.

(Mar. 10, 1981, D.C. Law 3-171, § 32; as added May 2, 2015, D.C. Law 20-271, § 101(b), 62 DCR 1884; Oct. 8, 2016, D.C. Law 21-160, § 1092(a), 63 DCR 10775; Feb. 18, 2017, D.C. Law 21-198, § 3, 63 DCR 15033; Apr. 15, 2017, D.C. Law 21-279, § 3, 64 DCR 966.)

For temporary (90 days) addition of this subpart, see § 101(b) of the New Columbia Statehood Initiative, Omnibus Boards and Commissions, and Election Transition Reform Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2015 (D.C. Act 21-7, Feb. 26, 2015, 62 DCR 2646, 21 STAT 807).

For temporary (90 days) addition of this subpart, see § 101(b) of the New Columbia Statehood Initiative, Omnibus Boards and Commissions, and Election Transition Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-481, Nov. 18, 2014, 61 DCR 12133, 20 STAT 4405).