[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 78 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 78

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
                      restoring religious freedom.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 1997

   Mr. Istook (for himself, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Armey, Mr. 
Bachus, Mr. Baker, Mr. Ballenger, Mr. Barcia, Mr. Barr of Georgia, Mr. 
Barrett of Nebraska, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Barton of Texas, Mr. 
Bliley, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Bonilla, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. 
Callahan, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Chenoweth, Mr. 
  Christensen, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Collins, Mr. Combest, Mr. Condit, Mr. 
  Cook, Mr. Crane, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Cubin, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Deal of 
  Georgia, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Dickey, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. 
Duncan, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Everett, Mr. Flake, Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Goode, 
Mr. Goodling, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Hayworth, 
   Mr. Hefley, Mr. Herger, Mr. Hill, Mr. Hilleary, Mr. Hoekstra, Mr. 
 Hunter, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Inglis of South Carolina, Mr. Sam Johnson 
of Texas, Mr. Jones, Mr. Kasich, Mr. Kim, Mr. Kingston, Mr. LaHood, Mr. 
     Largent, Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mr. Linder, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. 
   Livingston, Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma, Mr. McCollum, Mr. McCrery, Mr. 
 McHugh, Mr. McInnis, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. McKeon, Mr. Mica, Mrs. Myrick, 
  Mr. Neumann, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Packard, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Parker, Mr. 
   Paul, Mr. Paxon, Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Pickering, Mr. 
 Pitts, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Radanovich, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Riley, Mr. Rogers, 
   Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Royce, Mr. Scarborough, Mr. Bob Schaffer of 
Colorado, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Skeen, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mrs. Linda 
   Smith of Washington, Mr. Snowbarger, Mr. Solomon, Mr. Spence, Mr. 
 Stearns, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. Tauzin, Mr. Taylor of North Carolina, Mr. 
   Taylor of Mississippi, Mr. Thornberry, Mr. Thune, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. 
Traficant, Mr. Wamp, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Watts of Oklahoma, Mr. Weldon of 
Florida, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Young of Alaska) 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 
                      restoring religious freedom.

    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. To secure the people's right to acknowledge God 
according to the dictates of conscience: The people's right to pray and 
to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public 
property, including schools, shall not be infringed. The Government 
shall not require any person to join in prayer or other religious 
activity, initiate or designate school prayers, discriminate against 
religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion.''.
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