TO AMEND THE ACT ENTITLED “AN ACT TO REGULATE THE PRACTICE OF THE HEALING ART IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA” JANUARY 3 (calendar day, JANUARY 7), 1935.-Ordered to be printed Mr. COPELAND, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 401] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (S. 401) to amend the act entitled "An act to regulate the practice of the healing art to protect the public health in the District of Columbia", approved February 27, 1929, having considered the same, report the bill to the Senate and recommend that the bill do pass. The purpose of this bill is to substitute the corporation counsel of the District of Columbia for the United States attorney for the District of Columbia as a member of the commission on licensure to practice the healing art in the District of Columbia, and to put prosecutions and all proceedings under the act in the hands of the corporation counsel instead of the United States attorney. The bill is proposed by the Honorable Leslie C. Garnett, United States attorney for the District of Columbia. It is endorsed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia and the corporation counsel of the District. The letter of the United States attorney is as follows: Hon. WILLIAM H. KING, Chairman Committee on the District of Columbia, APRIL 24, 1934. United States Senate, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR SENATOR: I am submitting herewith a draft of a proposed bill amending sections 4 and 46 of the so-called "Healing Arts Practice Act, District of Columbia, 1928", title 20, chapter 2, part 1, District of Columbia Code. The amendment to section 4 substitutes the corporation counsel of the District of Columbia for the United States attorney for the District as a member ex officio of the commission on licensure created by said section. Since the operation and scope of the act is strictly local, it seems more appropriate that the chief law officer of the District, rather than the United States attorney, should be a member of this commission. Because of this proposed substitution, it seems proper to amend section 46 so as to put the matter of criminal prosecution and the prosecution and defense of civil proceedings arising under the act in charge of the corporation counsel. I am also enclosing a draft of a proposed report on the measure for such use as you may desire to make of it. This contains a fuller explanation of the matter and of the changes made by the proposed amendments. The corporation counsel of the District is in accord with me in urging this legislation. I bespeak for it your consideration and trust that if this proposal meets your approval and that of your committee, it will be possible to secure action on it during the present session. With highest regard, I am LESLIE C. GARNETT, Appended hereto and made a part of this report is a letter from the president of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia. recommending this legislation and urging its passage. COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Hon. WILLIAM H. KING, Washington, January 2, 1935. SIR: With reference to your suggestion that a bill to amend the act regulating the practice of the healing art in the District of Columbia, similar to S. 3479 in the Seventy-third Congress, second session, be introduced at the forthcoming session, we beg to report that on May 22, 1934, the Commissioners reported favorably on this bill after your committee had reported it to the Senate on May 12, 1934 (Rept. No. 990). The effect of the bill is to make the corporation counsel a member of the Commission on Licensure to Practice the Healing Art, to take the place of the United States attorney for the District of Columbia, and to place the enforcement of the act in the hands of the corporation counsel instead of in the hands of the United States attorney. This bill was proposed upon the suggestion of the new United States attorney, the Honorable Leslie C. Garnett, in order to relieve him of this duty. The corporation counsel has no objection to the change and therefore the Commissioners have none. JANUARY 3 (calendar day, JANUARY 7), 1935.-Ordered to be printed Mr. KING, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 402] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (S. 402) to amend section 824 of the Code of Laws for the District of Columbia, having considered the same, report favorably thereon and recommend that the bill do pass. The bill is designed to correct an anomalous situation in the District of Columbia whereby persons who had entered and remained in unoccupied private dwellings without authority were not subject to arrest, although such action was an offense under the present section 824 of the Code of Laws for the District of Columbia if the property were occupied. The bill under consideration would make it a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $50 or imprisonment in jail for not more than 6 months, or both, for any person who, without lawful authority, shall enter or attempt to enter an unoccupied private dwelling against the will or consent of the lawful owner or, being therein, shall refuse to quit the same. The bill has the approval of the corporation counsel of the District of Columbia, the United States district attorney for the District of Columbia, and the Board of Commissioners for the District of Columbia. Appended hereto and made a part of this report is a letter from the president of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia recommending this legislation and urging its passage. COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Hon. WILLIAM H. KING, SIR: With reference to your suggestion that a bill relating to unlawful entry upon property, similar to S. 3568 in the Seventy-third Congress, second session, be introduced at the forthcoming session, we beg to report that on May 8, 1934, the Commissioners reported favorably on this bill and your committee reported the bill on May 9, 1934 (Rept. No. 1053). Under the present law a person who owns or occupies property against the will of the occupant is guilty of a misdemeanor. Under that law obviously there can be no conviction if there be no lawful occupant of the property. The result is that there is no protection under the criminal law against squatters in vacant houses. The proposed bill adds a clause making it a misdemeanor to enter or occupy an unoccupied private dwelling against the will or consent of the lawful owner. The bill, as drawn last session, had the approval of the Hon. Leslie C. Garnett, United States attorney. Very respectfully, M. C. HAZEN, President Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia. |