[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 49 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 49

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
concerning the election of the Members of the House of Representatives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2009

 Mr. Larson of Connecticut 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 
concerning the election of the Members of the House of Representatives.

    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 House of Representatives shall be composed of 
Members chosen every fourth year by the people of the several States. 
Immediately after the first election, they shall be assembled and 
divided as equally as may be into two classes. The seats of the 
Representatives of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration 
of the second year and the second class at the expiration of the fourth 
year, so that one half may be chosen every second year.
    ``Section 2. This article shall not be so construed as to affect 
the election or term of any Representative chosen before it becomes 
valid as part of the Constitution.
    ``Section 3. This article shall apply to the 1st election of 
Representatives which occurs after ratification but no earlier than 
2012.
    ``Section 4. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article 
by appropriate legislation.''.
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