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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3361 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3361
To amend title 40, United States Code, to require approval by the
National Capital Planning Commission of certain improvements to the
White House or the grounds of the White House, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 4, 2025
Mr. Blumenthal introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 40, United States Code, to require approval by the
National Capital Planning Commission of certain improvements to the
White House or the grounds of the White House, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``No Palaces Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WHITE HOUSE OR THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE
HOUSE.
(a) Consultation Between Agencies and Commission.--Section
8722(b)(1) of title 40, United States Code, is amended, in the first
sentence, by inserting ``, before initiating any demolition activities
with respect to an existing structure,'' before ``or before making a
commitment''.
(b) Modifications to the White House.--Section 8722 of title 40,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Approval of Improvements to the White House or Grounds of the
White House.--
``(1) Approval of national capital planning commission
required; joint resolution of disapproval.--
``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Consideration period.--The term
`consideration period' means the 60-day period
that begins on the date on which the National
Capital Planning Commission approves the
proposed improvement under subparagraph
(B)(i)(II) (excluding days either House of
Congress is adjourned for more than 3 days
during a session of Congress).
``(ii) Joint resolution of disapproval.--
The term `joint resolution of disapproval'
means only a joint resolution that is
introduced during the consideration period, the
matter after the resolving clause of which is
as follows: `That Congress disapproves the
proposed improvement approved by the National
Capital Planning Commission on ____.', the
blank space being filled in with the date on
which the National Capital Planning Commission
approves the proposed improvement under
subparagraph (B)(i)(II).
``(B) Approval required.--A building or site
improvement to the White House or the grounds of the
White House may not be carried out unless--
``(i) the Executive Office of the
President, or the head of any Federal agency
acting on behalf of the Executive Office of the
President--
``(I) completes the concept review
(as described in the Submission
Guidelines of the National Capital
Planning Commission) with respect to
the proposed improvement; and
``(II) obtains the approval of the
National Capital Planning Commission
with respect to the proposed
improvement; and
``(ii) a joint resolution of disapproval is
not enacted into law in accordance with
subparagraph (B) on or before the date of the
end of the consideration period.
``(C) Procedures for consideration of joint
resolutions of disapproval.--
``(i) Referral.--A joint resolution of
disapproval shall be referred to the committees
in each House of Congress with jurisdiction.
``(ii) Senate procedure.--
``(I) Reporting and discharge.--If
the committee of the Senate to which a
joint resolution of disapproval is
referred has not reported the joint
resolution of disapproval (or an
identical joint resolution of
disapproval) by the date that is 20
days after the date on which the
National Capital Planning Commission
approves the proposed improvement under
subparagraph (B)(i)(II)--
``(aa) the committee may be
discharged from further
consideration of the joint
resolution of disapproval on a
petition supported in writing
by 30 Members of the Senate;
and
``(bb) the joint resolution
of disapproval shall be placed
on the calendar.
``(II) Motion to proceed.--
``(aa) In general.--After
the committee of the Senate to
which a joint resolution of
disapproval is referred has
reported, or is discharged from
further consideration of, the
joint resolution of
disapproval--
``(AA) it is in
order (even though a
previous motion to the
same effect has been
disagreed to) for a
motion to proceed to
the consideration of
the joint resolution of
disapproval; and
``(BB) all points
of order against the
joint resolution of
disapproval (and
against consideration
of the joint resolution
of disapproval) are
waived.
``(bb) Amendment.--A motion
to proceed under this subclause
is not subject to--
``(AA) amendment;
``(BB) a motion to
postpone; or
``(CC) a motion to
proceed to the
consideration of other
business.
``(cc) Motion to
reconsider.--A motion to
reconsider the vote by which a
motion to proceed under this
subclause is agreed to or
disagreed to shall not be in
order.
``(dd) Motion agreed to.--
If a motion to proceed under
this subclause is agreed to,
the joint resolution of
disapproval shall remain the
unfinished business of the
Senate until the joint
resolution of disapproval is
disposed of.
``(III) Debate.--
``(aa) Time limit.--Debate
in the Senate on the joint
resolution of disapproval and
on all debatable motions and
appeals in connection with the
joint resolution of disapproval
shall be limited to not more
than 10 hours, to be equally
divided between Senators
favoring and Senators opposing
the joint resolution of
disapproval.
``(bb) Motion to limit
debate.--A motion in the Senate
to further limit debate on the
joint resolution of disapproval
is in order and not debatable.
``(cc) Not in order.--In
the Senate, an amendment to, a
motion to postpone, or a motion
to proceed to the consideration
of other business, or a motion
to recommit the joint
resolution of disapproval is
not in order.
``(IV) Vote on final passage.--In
the Senate, immediately following the
conclusion of the debate on a joint
resolution of disapproval, and a single
quorum call at the conclusion of the
debate if requested in accordance with
the rules of the Senate, there shall be
a vote on final passage of the joint
resolution of disapproval.
``(V) Appeals.--Appeals from the
decisions of the Chair relating to the
application of the rules of the Senate
to the procedure relating to a joint
resolution of disapproval shall be
decided without debate.
``(VI) Limitation.--In the Senate,
the procedures described in subclauses
(I) through (V) shall not apply to the
consideration of a joint resolution of
disapproval after the expiration of the
consideration period.
``(iii) Consideration of joint resolution
of disapproval received from other house.--If,
before the passage by 1 House of a joint
resolution of disapproval of that House, that
House receives from the other House a joint
resolution of disapproval--
``(I) the joint resolution of
disapproval of the other House shall
not be referred to a committee; and
``(II) with respect to the House
receiving the joint resolution of
disapproval--
``(aa) the procedure in
that House shall be the same as
if no joint resolution of
disapproval had been received
from the other House; but
``(bb) the vote on final
passage shall be on the joint
resolution of disapproval of
the other House.
``(iv) Rules of house of representatives
and senate.--This subparagraph is enacted by
Congress--
``(I) as an exercise of the
rulemaking power of the Senate and the
House of Representatives, respectively,
and as such is deemed a part of the
rules of each House, respectively, but
applicable only with respect to the
procedure to be followed in that House
in the case of a joint resolution of
disapproval, and supersedes other rules
only to the extent that this
subparagraph is inconsistent with such
rules; and
``(II) with full recognition of the
constitutional right of either House to
change the rules (so far as relating to
the procedure of that House) at any
time, in the same manner, and to the
same extent as in the case of any other
rule of that House.
``(2) Use of funds.--
``(A) Private funds.--No private funds may be used
to carry out an improvement described in paragraph
(1)(B) unless authorized by Congress.
``(B) Federal funds.--Any use of Federal funds to
carry out an improvement described in paragraph (1)(B)
shall comply with the requirements of section 1301 of
title 31.''.
(c) Judicial Review.--
(1) Right of action.--The Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, any member of the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, the Commission of Fine Arts, any member of the
Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning
Commission, any member of the National Capital Planning
Commission, either House of Congress, or a Member of either
House of Congress may bring a civil action in the United States
District Court for the District of Columbia before a 3-judge
panel alleging a violation of this Act (including an amendment
made by this Act) for injunctive relief.
(2) Appeal.--Any party to a civil action brought under
paragraph (1) may appeal to the Supreme Court of the United
States any order granting or denying a permanent injunction
pursuant to this Act (including an amendment made by this Act).
(3) Expedited procedures.--
(A) Expeditious hearing.--The United States
District Court for the District of Columbia and the
Supreme Court, if applicable, shall expedite the
consideration of any civil action brought under this
subsection.
(B) Priority.--To the extent practicable, the
United States District Court for the District of
Columbia or the Supreme Court, if applicable, shall
give any civil action brought under this subsection
priority on the docket of the applicable court.
(C) Deadlines.--
(i) In general.--The United States District
Court for the District of Columbia shall issue
a decision with respect to any civil action
brought under this subsection not later than 30
days after the date on which the complaint is
filed.
(ii) Filing notice of appeal.--A notice of
appeal of any order, whether interlocutory or
final, entered in any civil action brought
under this subsection, shall be filed not later
than 10 days after the date of entry of the
order.
(iii) Hearing of appeal.--The hearing of an
appeal described in clause (ii) shall be held
not later than 45 days after the date of the
notice of appeal.
(iv) Decision on appeal.--A decision in an
appeal described in clause (ii) shall be issued
not later than 90 days after the date of the
notice of appeal.
(v) Judicial discretion.--The United States
District Court for the District of Columbia or
the Supreme Court, if applicable, may modify
the schedules and limitations described in
clauses (i) through (iv) in a particular civil
action, based on a specific finding that the
ends of justice that would be served by making
such a modification would outweigh the best
interest of the public in having the civil
action resolved expeditiously.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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