I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2056
To establish a national advisory referendum on limiting the terms of Members
of Congress at the general election of 1998.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 25, 1997
Mr. HOEKSTRA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Oversight
A BILL
To establish a national advisory referendum on limiting the
terms of Members of Congress at the general election
of 1998.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Voter Oppor-
tunity To Inform Congress Effectively (V.O.I.C.E.) on
Term Limits Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) the right of citizens of the United States to
vote is a fundamental right;
(2) the right of citizens of the United States to
have an effective voice in the decisionmaking proc-
esses of the Congress is grounded in the right to pe-
tition and is a fundamental part of American democ-
racy, and Congress should provide an opportunity
for citizens to express their views on important pub-
lic issues;
(3) there is an increasing public sentiment and
demand for limiting the terms of Members of Con-
gress; and
(4) voters in 23 States have already voted and/
or approved State laws to limit the terms of their
congressional delegations, and voters in other States
have expressed their interest in having the oppor-
tunity to also vote on term limits for Members of
Congress.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to give the citizens of every State the oppor-
tunity to have a voice on whether or not the terms
of Members of Congress should be limited; and
(2) to conduct a national nonbinding referen-
dum on term limits at the 1998 general election,
thereby having an opportunity to study the feasibil-
ity of conducting national nonbinding referenda on
other important issues in the future.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘nonbinding referendum’’ means
the placing on the general election ballot in every
congressional district and delegate or resident com-
missioner district in 1998 the advisory question de-
fined below, the results of which shall be properly
tabulated and certified as described herein, but
which results shall not be legally binding on any per-
son or institution;
(2) the term ‘‘advisory question’’ means the
National Advisory Referendum on Term Limits, the
language of which is contained in section 4(b) of this
Act;
(3) the term ‘‘general election’’ means the elec-
tion at which Federal officers are elected in 1998;
(4) the term ‘‘Federal office’’ means Members
of the United States House of Representatives and
Senators, Delegates to the United States Congress,
and Resident Commissioners of the territories of the
United States; and
(5) the term ‘‘State election agency’’ means the
official agency of each State and territory charged
with the legal responsibility for conducting general
elections within that jurisdiction.
SEC. 4. PROCEDURES FOR NATIONAL VOTER OPPORTUNITY
TO INFORM CONGRESS EFFECTIVELY ON
TERM LIMITS NONBINDING REFERENDUM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—This Act shall have the effect of
placing on the 1998 general election ballot in every con-
gressional district, and delegate and/or resident commis-
sioner district, in the United States, the District of Colum-
bia and the territories of the United States, the advisory
question concerning term limits for Members of Congress.
(b) ADVISORY QUESTION; BALLOT TITLE AND LAN-
GUAGE.—Not later than June 1, 1998, the Clerk of the
United States House of Representatives and the Secretary
of the United States Senate shall jointly certify to the ap-
propriate State election agencies for inclusion on the 1998
general election ballot in each congressional district, the
following ballot title and question:
‘‘NATIONAL ADVISORY REFERENDUM ON TERM LIMITS
‘‘Should Congress approve a constitutional amend-
ment to limit the number of terms that a Member of the
United States House of Representatives and United
States Senator can serve in office?
‘‘Yes
No’’.
(c) PREPARATION OF BALLOTS.—
(1) PROCEDURES.—The procedures for printing
and preparation of the ballots containing the advi-
sory questions shall be the same as provided in each
State and territory for conducting the elections of
the Members of the United States House of Rep-
resentatives and Senators, and Delegates or Resi-
dent Commissioners.
(2) ADVISORY
QUESTIONS.—In each congres-
sional and delegate district, every general election
ballot shall include the advisory questions contained
in subsection (b). Should there be no general elec-
tion scheduled to be held in any particular congres-
sional or delegate district, a ballot shall nonetheless
be prepared for the voters of said district to be able
to participate in the nonbinding referendum in the
same manner as all other districts where a general
election is being held. States shall be reimbursed at
4 cents per voter, or an estimated $5,000,000 for
the costs incurred in placing the questions in sub-
section (b) on the ballots in November 1998. There-
fore, this bill authorizes $5,000,000 for these pur-
poses. All reimbursements to State election agencies
for the costs of conducting the nonbinding referen-
dum shall be made from the franking accounts of
the Congress, with funds drawn from the franking
accounts of the House of Representatives and the
Senate in proportion to the total funds appropriated
to each House for franking, to reimburse the States
for such expenses. The Clerk of the United States
House of Representatives and the Secretary of the
United States Senate shall be responsible for ensur-
ing the proper application for and reimbursement of
said expenses.
(d) TABULATION AND CERTIFICATION OF VOTING
RESULTS.—The State election agencies shall tabulate the
results of the voting on the advisory questions in the same
manner as is customary for tabulating the results of elec-
tions of the Members of the United States House of Rep-
resentatives and Senators. Said results shall be officially
certified pursuant to the customary laws and procedures
of each jurisdiction.
(e) TRANSMISSION OF CERTIFIED RESULTS TO THE
CONGRESS, ALL MEMBERS, AND COMMITTEES ON THE
JUDICIARY.—The official, certified election results of each
jurisdiction’s nonbinding referenda on the advisory ques-
tions shall be certified by the State election agency to the
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and
the Secretary of the United States Senate in the same
manner and at the same time of the certification of elec-
tion of Members of the House of Representatives and Sen-
ate at the 1998 general election, said results to be certified
by county, congressional district and statewide totals. The
Clerk and the Secretary shall be responsible for transmit-
ting to each Member of the respective House of Congress
the results of the nonbinding referenda from all jurisdic-
tions. The results shall also be taken under advisement
by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the
Senate, with recommendations for response reported back
to the full House and Senate within 6 months of the gen-
eral election.
(f) COMMENTS REGARDING PROCEDURES FOR FU-
TURE NONBINDING REFERENDA.—Within 90 days of the
date of the general election, the State election agencies
shall forward to the Clerk of the United States House of
Representatives and the Secretary of the United States
Senate their comments or suggestions regarding changes
or improvements in procedures for conducting national
nonbinding referenda in future general elections. All such
comments shall be referred to the respective committees
on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and Sen-
ate.
Æ