IA
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 181
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to give
citizens of the United States the right to propose amendments to the
constitution by an initiative process.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 21, 1993
Mr. HOEKSTRA (for himself and Mr. HUTCHINSON) introduced the following
joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United
States to give citizens of the United States the right
to propose amendments to the constitution by an initia-
tive process.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
(two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol-
lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all
intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when
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ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several
States:
‘‘ARTICLE —
‘‘SECTION 1. The people shall have the right to pro-
pose amendments to the Constitution through the initia-
tive process provided in this article.
‘‘SECTION 2. A petition proposing an amendment to
the constitution shall be submitted to an officer of the
Government of the United States whom the Congress shall
designate by law. Each petition shall contain the text of
the proposed amendment. Each petition shall be signed
by at least 3 percent of the whole number of people, in
each of at least 10 States, who voted in the most recent
election for President, or for electors for President, occur-
ring before the date on which the petition is submitted
to the officer designated by Congress, and the total num-
ber of signatures on such petition shall be at least 3 per-
cent of the whole number of people, from all of the several
States, who voted in such election. All such signatures
shall be collected within the 18-month period ending on
the date the petition is submitted to the officer designated
by the Congress.
‘‘Within 90 days after a petition is submitted to the
officer designated by the Congress, such officer shall de-
termine the validity of the signatures contained in the pe-
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tition. If the petition contains the required number of valid
signatures, the officer shall certify the petition and shall
direct the chief executive officer in each State to place a
copy of the proposed amendment contained in the petition
on the ballot in the first election (other than an election
to fill a vacancy) for Members of the House of Representa-
tives which is held at least 120 days after such certifi-
cation. The Congress shall by law establish procedures for
the preparation and submission of any such petition and
for the validation of signatures on such petition.
‘‘SECTION 3. If the amendment proposed under this
article receives a majority of the votes cast in three-fifths
of the several States, the amendment shall be deemed pro-
posed to the States for ratification under article V of this
Constitution. Congress shall provide by law which of the
eligible modes of ratification shall be used.
‘‘SECTION 4. The people in each State voting under
this article shall have the qualification requisite for elec-
tors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature.
The Congress shall by law prescribe the manner in which
the results of the voting conducted under this article shall
be ascertained and declared.
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