IA 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 31 
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating 
to contributions and expenditures intended to affect elections. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 24, 2017 
Mr. DEUTCH (for himself, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BRENDAN 
F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Ms. CASTOR 
of Florida, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. CONNOLLY, 
Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. 
DELAURO, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
ENGEL, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. ESTY, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. 
FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HIMES, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KEATING, Mr. 
KIHUEN, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LARSEN 
of Washington, Mr. LOEBSACK, Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. 
MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. SEAN PAT-
RICK MALONEY of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
MEEKS, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NADLER, Mr. NOLAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
O’ROURKE, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. QUIGLEY, 
Mr. RASKIN, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. SAR-
BANES, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. SIRES, 
Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. SUOZZI, 
Mr. SWALWELL of California, Ms. TITUS, Mr. TONKO, Ms. TSONGAS, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. WELCH, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. WALZ, 
Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. SOTO, and Mr. HUFFMAN) sub-
mitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United 
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•HJ 31 IH 
States relating to contributions and expenditures in-
tended to affect elections. 
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 
ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 
States within seven years after the date of its submission 
for ratification: 
‘‘ARTICLE — 
‘‘SECTION 1. To advance democratic self-government 
and political equality, and to protect the integrity of gov-
ernment and the electoral process, Congress and the 
States may regulate and set reasonable limits on the rais-
ing and spending of money by candidates and others to 
influence elections. 
‘‘SECTION 2. Congress and the States shall have 
power to implement and enforce this article by appropriate 
legislation, and may distinguish between natural persons 
and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, 
including by prohibiting such entities from spending 
money to influence elections. 
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‘‘SECTION 3. Nothing in this article shall be con-
strued to grant Congress or the States the power to 
abridge the freedom of the press.’’. 
Æ 
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