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104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2117

To provide that the voters of the United States be given the right, through

advisory voter initiative, to propose the enactment and repeal of Federal

laws in a national election.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 26, 1995

Mr. HOEKSTRA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Oversight, and in addition to the Committee on Rules,

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned

A BILL

To provide that the voters of the United States be given

the right, through advisory voter initiative, to propose

the enactment and repeal of Federal laws in a national

election.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Advisory

5 Voter Initiative Act of 1995’’.

6 SEC. 2. RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.

7 The people shall have the right—
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1 (1) to propose any law which the Congress has

2 authority to pass; and

3 (2) to propose the repeal of any provision of law

4 passed by the Congress which has become law.

5 SEC. 3. PETITION PROCEDURE.

6 A petition proposing the enactment of a law, or the

7 repeal of a provision of law, shall be submitted to an offi8 cer of the United States whom the Congress shall des9 ignate by law. Each petition shall contain the text of the

10 proposed law, or, in the case of a repeal, the text of the

11 provision of law proposed to be repealed. Each petition

12 shall be signed by at least 3 percent of the whole number

13 of people, in each of at least 10 States, who voted in the

14 last presidential election before the date on which the peti15 tion is submitted. The total number of signatures on such

16 petition shall be at least 3 percent of the whole number

17 of people, from all of the several States, who voted in that

18 election. All signatures shall be collected during the 18-

19 month period ending on the date on which the petition

20 is submitted.

21 SEC. 4. BALLOT PROCEDURE.

22 Not later than 90 days after a petition is submitted

23 under section 3, the officer to whom the petition is submit24 ted shall determine the validity of the signatures on the

25 petition. If the petition contains the required number of
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1 valid signatures, the officer shall certify the petition and

2 shall direct the chief executive officer of each State to

3 place a copy of the proposed law, or provision of law pro4 posed to be repealed on the ballot in the first House of

5 Representatives election (other than an election to fill a

6 vacancy) which is held at least 120 days after such certifi7 cation. The Congress shall by law—

8 (1) establish procedures for the preparation and

9 submission of petitions and for the validation of pe10 tition signatures; and

11 (2) prescribe the manner in which the results of

12 the voting conducted under this Act shall be

13 ascertained and declared.

14 SEC. 5. REIMBURSEMENT.

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—A State shall be reimbursed at the

16 rate of 4 cents per voter for not less than one and not

17 more than 3 proposed laws or repeals for each general

18 election ballot. All such reimbursements shall be made

19 from the franking accounts of the Congress, with equal

20 amounts from the franking accounts of the House of Rep21 resentatives and the Senate in proportion to population.

22 The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Sec23 retary of the Senate shall be responsible for ensuring the

24 proper application for, and payment of, reimbursements

25 under this section.
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1 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

2 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be

3 necessary for reimbursements under subsection (a).

4 SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL ACTION.

5 If a law or repeal proposed under this Act receives

a majority of the votes cast in 3 6 ⁄5 of the several States,

7 the proposed law or repeal shall be introduced in the

8 House of Representatives by the Speaker of the House of

9 Representatives and in the Senate by the President pro

10 tempore of the Senate on the first day of the first session

11 of the Congress following the vote.

12 SEC. 7. VOTER QUALIFICATIONS.

13 The people in each State voting under this Act shall

14 have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most

15 numerous branch of the State legislature.

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