The Article V Convention to Propose Constitutional Amendments: Current Developments

Summary

Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides two procedures for amending the nation’s fundamental charter: proposal of amendments by Congress, by a vote of two-thirds of the Members of both houses, and proposal by a convention called on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds (34) of the states, the “Article V Convention.” Amendments proposed by either method must be ratified by three-fourths (38) of the states in order to become part of the Constitution. This report provides information for Members of Congress and congressional staff on current developments in Congress, the states, and the advocacy and policy communities concerning the Article V Convention alternative.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, supporters of Article V Conventions mounted vigorous but ultimately unsuccessful campaigns to call conventions to consider amendments related to diverse issues, including school busing to achieve racial balance, abortion restrictions, apportionment in state legislatures, and, most prominently, a balanced federal budget.

After more than 20 years of comparative inaction, the past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in and support for the Article V Convention alternative. Advocacy groups across a broad range of the political spectrum are pushing for conventions to consider various amendments, including a revival of the balanced budget amendment proposed in the 1970s -1980s; an interstate compact that could call a convention, propose, and prospectively ratify, a balanced budget amendment; an amendment or amendments to restrict the authority of the federal government; and an amendment to permit regulation of corporate spending in election campaigns, which would nullify parts of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

In the 114th Congress, the House of Representatives established new procedures for the receipt and publication of state memorials related to the convention issue, including new applications for a convention and rescissions of previous applications. Two relevant pieces of legislation have also been introduced. The first measure, H.Con.Res. 26, would “effect” the Compact for America’s Interstate Compact for a Balanced Budget, summon an Article V Convention, and propose the amendment approved by the convention to the states for ratification. The second, H.J.Res. 34, would amend the Constitution to authorize an Article V Convention to propose specifically worded amendments.

Applications for one or more of the several pending Article V Convention variations were introduced in 47 states during 2015. Progress in enacting these measures has been comparatively slow, however: in 2015 only seven applications were filed by six states, and only the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force, most of whose 27 claimed applications originated in the 1970s and 1980s, came close to the 34-state constitutional threshold.

Two additional CRS Reports address other aspects of this issue. CRS Report R42589, The Article V Convention to Propose Constitutional Amendments: Contemporary Issues for Congress, identifies and analyzes the contemporary role of Congress in the Article V Convention process in greater detail. CRS Report R42592, The Article V Convention for Proposing Constitutional Amendments: Historical Perspectives for Congress examines the procedure’s constitutional origins and history and provides an analysis of related state procedures.

This report will be updated as warranted by events.