Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to protect the rights of crime victims

That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States: The following rights of a crime victim, being capable of protection without denying the constitutional rights of the accused, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State. The crime victim shall have the rights to reasonable notice of, and shall not be excluded from, public proceedings relating to the offense, to be heard at any release, plea, sentencing, or other proceeding involving any right established by this article, to proceedings free from unreasonable delay, to reasonable notice of the release or escape of the accused, to due consideration of the crime victimâ€™s safety, dignity, and privacy, and to restitution. The crime victim or the crime victim's lawful representative has standing to assert and enforce these rights. Nothing in this article provides grounds for a new trial or any claim for damages. Review of the denial of any right established herein, which may include interlocutory relief, shall be subject to the standards of ordinary appellate review. For purposes of this article, a crime victim includes any person against whom the criminal offense is committed or who is directly and proximately harmed by the commission of an act, which, if committed by a competent adult, would constitute a crime. This article shall be inoperative unless it has been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within 14 years after the date of its submission to the States by the Congress. This article shall take effect on the 180th day after the date of its ratification.

Summary: This joint resolution provides continuing FY2019 appropriations to several federal agencies through the earlier of February 22, 2019, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations legislation.  It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a partial government shutdown after the existing CR expires on February 15, 2019, because seven of the remaining FY2019 appropriations bills have not been enacted.  (Five of the FY2019 appropriations bills were enacted last year, including   the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019;  the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019;  the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019;  the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2019; and  the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019.)  Additionally, the CR has the effect of extending through February 22, 2019, several authorities and programs that were extended in prior CRs, including    the Violence Against Women Act,  the authority for the Environmental Protection Agency to collect and spend certain fees related to pesticides,  the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and  several authorities related to immigration.