[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 29 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 29

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
 providing that the rights extended by the Constitution are the rights 
                        of natural persons only.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2013

 Mr. Nolan (for himself and Mr. Pocan) 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 that the rights extended by the Constitution are the rights 
                        of natural persons only.

    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 rights protected by the Constitution of the United 
States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, 
such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities, 
established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign 
state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to 
regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The 
privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, 
through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be 
inherent or inalienable.
    ``Section 2. Federal, State and local government shall regulate, 
limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a 
candidate's own contributions and expenditures, for the purpose of 
influencing in any way the election of any candidate for public office 
or any ballot measure. Federal, State and local government shall 
require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly 
disclosed. The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to 
influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.
    ``Section 3. Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed 
to abridge the freedom of the press.''.
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