Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing that the rights extended by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only.
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Summary:
Constitutional Amendment
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment providing that: (1) the rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only; (2) artificial entities (such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities established by the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state) shall have no rights under the Constitution and are subject to regulation by the people, through federal, state, or local law; and (3) the privileges of such artificial entities shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.
The amendment requires federal, state, and local government to: (1) regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures, to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their economic status, have access to the political process and that no person gains, as a result of that person's money, substantially more access or ability to influence the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure; and (2) require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary is prohibited from construing the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 48 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 48

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
 providing that the rights extended by the Constitution are the rights 
                        of natural persons only.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2017

Mr. Nolan (for himself, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Ellison, Mr. 
   Pocan, Mr. Takano, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. O'Rourke, Ms. 
 Slaughter, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Lee, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Engel, Mr. Tonko, 
 Mr. Raskin, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. 
  Norcross, and Mr. Jones) submitted 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 
 providing that the rights extended by the Constitution are the rights 
                        of natural persons only.

    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 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:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. The rights protected by the Constitution of the United 
States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, 
such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities, 
established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign 
state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to 
regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The 
privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, 
through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be 
inherent or inalienable.
    ``Section 2. Federal, State and local government shall regulate, 
limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a 
candidate's own contributions and expenditures, to ensure that all 
citizens, regardless of their economic status, have access to the 
political process, and that no person gains, as a result of that 
person's money, substantially more access or ability to influence in 
any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot 
measure. Federal, State, and local governments shall require that any 
permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The 
judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence 
elections to be speech under the First Amendment.''.
                                 <all>