[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 86 Introduced in House (IH)]




                                     


104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 86

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
 providing for direct popular elections of the President and the Vice 
  President, establishing a day for elections for the offices of the 
    President, the Vice President, Senator, and Representative, and 
providing for primaries to nominate candidates for the offices 1 month 
                         before the elections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 2, 1995

    Mr. Jacobs 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 
 providing for direct popular elections of the President and the Vice 
  President, establishing a day for elections for the offices of the 
    President, the Vice President, Senator, and Representative, and 
providing for primaries to nominate candidates for the offices 1 month 
                         before the 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 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 7 years from the date of its submission by the Congress:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. The Congress shall by law provide for national 
primaries in which the people of the several States and the District 
constituting the seat of Government of the United States nominate 
candidates for President and Vice President. The national primaries 
shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in September of 
the years preceding the years in which the terms of the President and 
the Vice President begin.
    ``Section 2. The Congress shall by law provide for national 
elections of the President and the Vice President by the people of the 
several States and the District constituting the seat of Government of 
the United States. The elections shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after 
the 1st Monday in October of the years in which the national primaries 
are held pursuant to section 1. Each candidate whose name appears on 
the ballot in an election of the President and the Vice President shall 
have been nominated in a primary held pursuant to this article.
    ``Section 3. The Congress shall by law provide for primaries in 
which the electors in a State who have the qualifications requisite for 
electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature nominate 
candidates for Senator to represent the State in the Congress. The 
primaries shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in 
September of the years preceding the years in which a term for which a 
Senator was elected to represent the State in the Congress expires. The 
elections for the seat to be vacated at the expiration of the term 
shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in October of the 
years in which the primaries are held. Each candidate whose name 
appears on the ballot in an election of a Senator shall have been 
nominated in a primary held pursuant to this article.
    ``Section 4. The Congress shall by law provide for primaries in 
which the electors in a congressional district of a State who have the 
qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of 
the State legislature nominate candidates for Representative to 
represent the district in the Congress. The Congress shall by law 
provide for primaries in which the electors in a State who have the 
qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of 
the State legislature and whose Representatives are elected at large 
nominate candidates for Representative to represent the State in the 
Congress. The primaries shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st 
Monday in September of the years preceding the years in which the terms 
of Representatives begin. The elections for Representatives shall be 
held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in October of the years in 
which the primaries are held. Each candidate whose name appears on the 
ballot in an election of a Representative shall have been nominated in 
a primary held pursuant to this article.
    ``Section 5. This article shall not apply to a special election 
held to fill a vacancy in the representation of a State in the 
Congress.
    ``Section 6. This article shall apply to the selection of a 
President and Vice President whose terms begin on the 20th day of 
January of a year that occurs more than 3 years after the year in which 
this article becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
    ``Section 7. This article shall apply to the selection of a Senator 
or Representative whose term begins on the 3d day of January of a year 
that occurs more than 1 year after the year in which this article 
becomes valid as part of the Constitution.''.
                                 <all>