On September 27, the Senate without debate approved, by voice vote, the FY2001 District of Columbia (D.C.) appropriations bill (H.R. 4942), sending the bill to conference with the House. The House passed the measure on September 14 (see The Source, 9/15/00, 3).
Both bills 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, implementation of a voter referendum approving the medicinal use of marijuana, and implementation of health benefits for domestic partners of D.C. employees. Exceptions for abortion coverage would be made in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment.
Additionally, both bills would prohibit the use of local and federal funds to implement needle exchange programs. However, several differences between the bills remain, including a House-passed provision that would prohibit the distribution of needles in conjunction with a needle exchange program within 1,000 feet of programs serving children or young adults and a House-passed provision that would prohibit the possession of tobacco by minors.
