| 1 | 1 | | IA |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. J. RES. 54 |
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| 5 | 5 | | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing |
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| 6 | 6 | | that the rights protected and extended by the Constitution are the |
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| 7 | 7 | | rights of natural persons only. |
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| 8 | 8 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 9 | 9 | | FEBRUARY12, 2025 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Ms. J |
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| 11 | 11 | | AYAPAL(for herself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. WILLIAMSof Georgia, Mr. |
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| 12 | 12 | | T |
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| 13 | 13 | | ONKO, Mr. NADLER, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. JOHNSONof Georgia, Mr. DOG- |
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| 14 | 14 | | GETT, Ms. TLAIB, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Ms. CLARKEof New York, Ms. NOR- |
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| 15 | 15 | | TON, Mr. MAGAZINER, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. CASTROof |
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| 16 | 16 | | Texas, Mr. K |
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| 17 | 17 | | HANNA, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. BROWN, Mr. PETERS, Ms. |
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| 18 | 18 | | O |
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| 19 | 19 | | CASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. CHU, |
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| 20 | 20 | | Mr. V |
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| 21 | 21 | | ARGAS, Mr. FROST, Ms. ADAMS, and Ms. LEEof Pennsylvania) |
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| 22 | 22 | | submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Com- |
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| 23 | 23 | | mittee on the Judiciary |
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| 24 | 24 | | JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 25 | 25 | | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United |
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| 26 | 26 | | States providing that the rights protected and extended |
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| 27 | 27 | | by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons |
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| 28 | 28 | | only. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the United States of America in Congress assembled2 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol-3 |
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| 32 | 32 | | lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con-4 |
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| 33 | 33 | | stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all 5 |
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| 34 | 34 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:48 Feb 13, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ54.IH HJ54 |
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| 35 | 35 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
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| 36 | 36 | | •HJ 54 IH |
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| 37 | 37 | | intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 1 |
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| 38 | 38 | | ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 2 |
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| 39 | 39 | | States: 3 |
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| 40 | 40 | | ‘‘A |
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| 41 | 41 | | RTICLE— 4 |
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| 42 | 42 | | ‘‘S |
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| 43 | 43 | | ECTION1. The rights and privileges protected and 5 |
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| 44 | 44 | | extended by the Constitution of the United States are the 6 |
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| 45 | 45 | | rights and privileges of natural persons only. An artificial 7 |
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| 46 | 46 | | entity, such as a corporation, limited liability company, or 8 |
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| 47 | 47 | | other entity, established by the laws of any State, the 9 |
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| 48 | 48 | | United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights 10 |
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| 49 | 49 | | under the Constitution and are subject to regulation by 11 |
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| 50 | 50 | | the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The privi-12 |
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| 51 | 51 | | leges of an artificial entity shall be determined by the Peo-13 |
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| 52 | 52 | | ple, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not 14 |
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| 53 | 53 | | be construed to be inherent or inalienable. 15 |
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| 54 | 54 | | ‘‘S |
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| 55 | 55 | | ECTION2. Federal, State, and local government 16 |
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| 56 | 56 | | shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expendi-17 |
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| 57 | 57 | | tures, including a candidate’s own contributions and ex-18 |
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| 58 | 58 | | penditures, to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their 19 |
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| 59 | 59 | | economic status, have access to the political process, and 20 |
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| 60 | 60 | | that no person gains, as a result of that person’s money, 21 |
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| 61 | 61 | | substantially more access or ability to influence in any way 22 |
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| 62 | 62 | | the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot 23 |
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| 63 | 63 | | measure. Federal, State, and local governments shall re-24 |
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| 64 | 64 | | quire that any permissible contributions and expenditures 25 |
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| 66 | 66 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
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| 67 | 67 | | •HJ 54 IH |
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| 68 | 68 | | be publicly disclosed. The judiciary shall not construe the 1 |
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| 69 | 69 | | spending of money to influence elections to be speech 2 |
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| 70 | 70 | | under the First Amendment. 3 |
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| 71 | 71 | | ‘‘S |
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| 72 | 72 | | ECTION3. This amendment shall not be construed 4 |
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| 73 | 73 | | to abridge the right secured by the Constitution of the 5 |
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| 74 | 74 | | United States of the freedom of the press.’’. 6 |
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| 75 | 75 | | Æ |
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| 76 | 76 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:48 Feb 13, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HJ54.IH HJ54 |
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| 77 | 77 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB |
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