On September 26, the House Appropriations Committee approved, by voice vote, the FY2003 District of Columbia appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The District of Columbia spending bill would level-fund discretionary spending for FY2003 at $517 million, the same amount allocated by the Senate Appropriations Committee and $138.25 million more than the President’s request.
Also, the bill would provide $160.5 million for the operation of the D.C. Courts, including the new Family Court. The Family Court will handle all cases in the District pertaining to child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, adoption, and foster care. The Senate measure (S. 2809) would provide $173.2 million in FY2003 for D.C. Courts.
The House measure would maintain current law prohibiting the use of federal and local funds to implement needle exchange programs. However, the Senate measure would alter the provision to allow the District to use its own funds for these programs.
Also included in the House bill is a provision that would maintain current law allowing the use of local funds to implement a D.C. law that permits municipal employees to purchase health insurance benefits for their domestic partners, regardless of gender or marital status. The Senate bill includes the same provision.
The bill also would maintain current law with respect to the prohibition on the use of local and federal funds for abortion coverage for low-income women on Medicaid and implementation of a voter referendum approving the medical use of marijuana. Exceptions for abortion coverage would be made in the cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. The Senate bill also includes this provision.
