[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 65 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 65

  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
limit the terms of Representatives and Senators, to provide for a four-
year term for Representatives, and to provide for campaign contribution 
       limitations with respect to elections for Federal office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 1995

   Mr. Thornton 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 the terms of Representatives and Senators, to provide for a four-
year term for Representatives, and to provide for campaign contribution 
       limitations with respect to elections for Federal office.

    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 by the Congress:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. The term of office of a Member of the House of 
Representatives shall be four years, beginning with the first election 
of Representatives occurring after this article becomes valid as a part 
of the Constitution. The House of Representatives shall adopt 
procedures to ensure that one half of the House of Representatives is 
elected every two years and that, as much as possible, one half of each 
State's delegation is elected every two years.
    ``Section 2. A person may not be elected to serve a term as a 
Representative if the person has been elected to serve as a 
Representative for the twelve consecutive years that immediately 
precede the term. A person may not be elected to serve a term as a 
Senator if the person has been elected to serve as a Senator for the 
twelve consecutive years that immediately precede the term.
    ``Service as a Representative or Senator after January 1, 1995, 
shall be included in determining the number of years to which the 
person has been elected to serve as a Representative or Senator.
    ``Section 3. Beginning with the first election after this article 
becomes valid as a part of the Constitution, no person or entity may 
make contributions, solicit or receive contributions, or make 
expenditures, with respect to a candidate for the office of either 
Representative or Senator earlier than eighteen months before the 
ending of the term then being served, if the candidate is an incumbent 
of either the office of Representative or Senator.
    ``The Congress shall have the power, by appropriate legislation, to 
establish additional limitations on contributions and expenditures, 
including the expenditure of personal funds by the candidate, with 
respect to an election for any Federal office.''.
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