I 
105TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2061
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 
JUNE 25, 1997
Mr. HOEKSTRA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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.
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 Advisory 
Voter Initiative Act of 1997’’. 
SEC. 2. RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE. 
The people shall have the right—
(1) to propose any law which the Congress has 
authority to pass; and 
(2) to propose the repeal of any provision of law 
passed by the Congress which has become law. 
SEC. 3. PETITION PROCEDURE. 
A petition proposing the enactment of a law, or the 
repeal of a provision of law, shall be submitted to an offi-
cer of the United States whom the Congress shall des-
ignate by law. Each petition shall contain the text of the 
proposed law, or, in the case of a repeal, the text of the 
provision of law proposed to be repealed. 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 
last presidential election before the date on which the peti-
tion is submitted. The total number of signatures on such 
petition shall be at least 3 percent of the whole number 
of people, from all of the several States, who voted in that 
election. All signatures shall be collected during the 18-
month period ending on the date on which the petition 
is submitted. 
SEC. 4. BALLOT PROCEDURE. 
Not later than 90 days after a petition is submitted 
under section 3, the officer to whom the petition is sub-
mitted shall determine the validity of the signatures on 
the petition. If the petition contains the required number
of valid signatures, the officer shall certify the petition and 
shall direct the chief executive officer of each State to 
place a copy of the proposed law, or provision of law pro-
posed to be repealed on the ballot in the first House of 
Representatives election (other than an election to fill a 
vacancy) which is held at least 120 days after such certifi-
cation. The Congress shall by law—
(1) establish procedures for the preparation and 
submission of petitions and for the validation of pe-
tition signatures; and 
(2) prescribe the manner in which the results of 
the voting conducted under this Act shall be 
ascertained and declared. 
SEC. 5. REIMBURSEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State shall be reimbursed at the 
rate of 4 cents per voter for not less than one and not 
more than 3 proposed laws or repeals for each general 
election ballot. All such reimbursements shall be made 
from the franking accounts of the Congress, with equal 
amounts from the franking accounts of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate in proportion to population. 
The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Sec-
retary of the Senate shall be responsible for ensuring the 
proper application for, and payment of, reimbursements 
under this section.