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






                                                 House Calendar No. 192
105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. J. RES. 78

                          [Report No. 105-543]

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    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

                              May 19, 1998

Additional sponsors: Mr. Hastert, Mr. Hulshof, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Hefner, 
Mr. Souder, Mr. Boehner, Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. Ney, Mrs. 
 Bono, Mr. Metcalf, Mr. Nussle, Mr. Goss, Ms. Dunn of Washington, Mr. 
 Camp, Mr. Bateman, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Cooksey, Mr. Coble, Mr. Redmond, 
 Ms. Christian-Green, Mr. Bereuter, Mr. Dan Schaefer of Colorado, Mr. 
Gekas, Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. Riggs, Mr. Shuster, 
    Mr. Brady, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. John, Mr. 
           Goodlatte, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Rogan, and Mr. Oxley

                              May 19, 1998

Reported with an amendment, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered 
                             to be printed
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                            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), <DELETED>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:

                     <DELETED>``Article--</DELETED>

<DELETED>    ``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.''.</DELETED>
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--

    ``To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the 
dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall 
establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to 
recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public 
property, including schools, shall not be infringed. Neither the United 
States nor any State shall require any person to join in prayer or 
other religious activity, prescribe school prayers, discriminate 
against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of 
religion.''.
                                     





                                                 House Calendar No. 192

105th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                             H. J. RES. 78

                          [Report No. 105-543]

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                              May 19, 1998

Reported with an amendment, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered 
                             to be printed