Twentieth Amendment Section Four Study Act

Bill: 116-s-3950
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Portman, Rob [R-OH]
Introduced: 2020-06-11
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Advisory bodies

Congressional operations and organization

Congressional oversight

Constitution and constitutional amendments

Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Government studies and investigations

Libraries and archives

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Latest action: action_date: 2020-06-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-06-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Twentieth Amendment Section Four Study Act</b></p> <p>This bill establishes the Twentieth Amendment Section Four Panel, which must recommend to Congress model legislation to resolve any vacancy created by the death of a candidate in a contingent presidential or vice-presidential election. Such panel terminates 90 days after submitting its final report. </p> <p>(The Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution requires that presidential and vice-presidential candidates gain a majority of electoral votes to win an election. In the event that no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, the Twelfth Amendment requires the House of Representatives to elect the President and the Senate to elect the Vice President, which is known as a contingent election. The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution allows Congress to establish a process in the case of the death of a candidate in a contingent presidential or vice-presidential election.)</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3950 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 11, 2020 Mr. Portman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration A BILL To establish a panel of constitutional experts to recommend to Congress an appropriate process for providing for the case of the death of a candidate in a contingent presidential or vice-presidential election.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Twentieth Amendment Section Four Study Act . 2. Establishment of a panel (a) Establishment There is established the Twentieth Amendment Section Four Panel (in this Act referred to as the Panel ). (b) Membership (1) In general The Panel shall be composed of 6 constitutional experts, of whom— (A) 1 shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (B) 1 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (C) 1 shall be appointed jointly by the majority and minority leader of the Senate; (D) 1 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (E) 1 shall be appointed by minority leader of the House of Representatives; and (F) 1 shall be appointed jointly by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the minority leader of the House of Representatives. (2) Date The appointments of the members of the Panel shall be made not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act. (3) Vacancy Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Panel shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made. (4) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson The Panel shall select a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among the members of the Panel. (c) Purpose The purpose of the Panel shall be to recommend to Congress model legislation, which shall provide for an appropriate process, pursuant to section 4 of the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, to resolve any vacancy created by the death of a candidate in a contingent presidential or vice-presidential election. (d) Reports (1) Initial report Not later than 1 year after the date on which all of the appointments have been made under subsection (b)(2), the Panel shall submit to Congress an interim report containing the Panel’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations. (2) Final report Not later than 6 months after the submission of the interim report under paragraph (1), the Panel shall submit to Congress a final report containing the Panel’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations. (e) Meetings; information (1) In general Meetings of the Panel shall be held at the Law Library of Congress. (2) Information The Panel may secure from the Law Library of Congress such information as the Panel considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. (f) Funds (1) Compensation of members Members of the Panel shall receive no compensation. (2) Other funding No amounts shall be appropriated for the purposes of this Act, except for any amounts strictly necessary for the Law Library of Congress to execute its responsibilities under subsection (e). (g) Termination (1) In general The panel established under subsection (a) shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the panel submits the final report required under subsection (d)(2). (2) Records Upon termination of the panel, all of its records shall become the records of the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.