I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4499 

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 

JANUARY 21, 2010 

Mr. HOEKSTRA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, 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 2010’’. 

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11 provision of law proposed to be repealed.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 sub24 mitted shall determine the validity of the signatures on 

25 the petition. If the petition contains the required number 


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1 of 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. CONGRESSIONAL ACTION. 

15 If a law or repeal proposed under this Act receives 

a majority of the votes cast in 3 16 ⁄5 of the several States, 

17 the proposed law or repeal shall be introduced in the 

18 House of Representatives by the Speaker of the House of 

19 Representatives and in the Senate by the President pro 

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

21 of the Congress following the vote. 


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1 SEC. 6. VOTER QUALIFICATIONS. 

2 The people in each State voting under this Act shall 

3 have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most 

4 numerous branch of the State legislature. 

Æ 


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