[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 203 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 203

  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
 limit terms of Representatives and Senators and to place requirements 
          on Representatives who seek election to the Senate.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 26, 1993

 Mr. Hoke (for himself, Mr. McCollum, Mr. Coppersmith, Mr. Wilson, Mr. 
    McKeon, Mr. Hoekstra, and Mr. Smith of Michigan) introduced 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 to 
 limit terms of Representatives and Senators and to place requirements 
          on Representatives who seek election to the Senate.

    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 
within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. The term of office of a Representative in Congress 
shall be four years, except for two-year terms as provided in this 
section. Immediately after the Representatives in Congress shall be 
assembled for the first term with respect to which this section 
applies, they shall be divided by lot as equally as may be into two 
classes. The terms of the Representatives of the first class shall 
expire at the end of the second year, and of the second class at the 
end of the fourth year, so that one-half may be chosen every second 
year. In order to meet the requirements of reapportionment, all offices 
of Representatives in Congress shall be open for election in years 
ending in two and the same process of division into two classes 
described hereinbefore shall recur upon the first assembly of Members 
after each such election. The House of Representatives shall adopt 
procedures to insure that the size of the two classes of seats shall 
remain as equal as possible despite changes occurring in the total 
number of seats in the House of Representatives or in the apportionment 
of Members among the several States.
    ``Section 2. No person who has been elected to the Senate two times 
shall be eligible for election or appointment to the Senate. No person 
who has been elected to the House of Representatives a total of four 
times, or has been elected three times to four-year terms, shall be 
eligible for election to the House of Representatives.
    ``Section 3. For purposes of determining eligibility for election 
under section 2, only elections occurring by reason of the expiration 
of the term of office of a Member and elections to terms of office 
beginning more than one year after the date of the ratification of this 
article shall be taken into account.
    ``Section 4. No Representative may, except in the final year of 
that Representative's current term of office, qualify under applicable 
State law as a candidate for the United States Senate, unless the 
Representative has resigned from the office of Representative.
    ``Section 5. Section 1 shall apply with respect to terms of office 
beginning more than one year after the date of the ratification of this 
article. Section 2 shall take effect when the first terms of office 
begin with respect to which section 1 applies.''.

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