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Senate Joint Resolution 11 - IntroducedA Bill ForA Joint Resolution 1requesting the call of a constitutional
2convention for the purpose of proposing an amendment to the
3Constitution of the United States relating to term limits
4for federal legislators.
5WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States
6provides that Congress must call a convention for the purpose
7of proposing amendments to the Constitution upon application by
8two-thirds of the states demanding such action;and
9WHEREAS, the general assembly of Iowa is hereby joining with
10other states in asserting rights and responsibilities under
11Article V of the Constitution of the United States with regard
12to proposing a congressional term limits amendment;and
13WHEREAS, the average length of service in Congress continues
14to rise which creates a detachment between the members and
15their constituents, making the American people feel they are no
16longer being listened to;and
17WHEREAS, open-seat elections will allow for more people to
18participate in the government from a variety of backgrounds
19providing better representation and more options for the voters
20on the ballots;and
21WHEREAS, the general assembly of Iowa, a body of citizen
22legislators, desires to restore rotation in office for members
23serving in the Congress of the United States;NOW THEREFORE,
24BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
25That the general assembly, as the legislature of the state of
26Iowa, pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United
27States, hereby applies to the Congress of the United States
28to call a convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an
29amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the
30number of terms that a person may be elected as a member of the
31United States house of representatives and to set a limit on
32the number of terms that a person may be elected as a member of
33the United States senate.
34BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of the Iowa
35senate transmit copies of this resolution to the president and
36secretary of the United States senate, the speaker, clerk, and
37judiciary committee chairperson of the United States house of
38representatives, to each senator and representative from Iowa
39in the Congress of the United States, and to the presiding
40officers of each legislative body of each of the several
41states, requesting the cooperation of the states in issuing
42an application compelling Congress to call a convention for
43proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the Constitution
44of the United States.
45BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application shall
46be considered as covering the same subject matter as the
47applications from other states to Congress to call a convention
48to set a limit on the number of terms that a person may be
49elected to the United States house of representatives and the
50United States senate; and this application shall be aggregated
51with the same for the purpose of attaining the two-thirds
52of states necessary to require Congress to call a limited
53convention on this subject, but shall not be aggregated with
54any other applications on any other subject.
55BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes
56a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the
57Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at
58least two-thirds of the several states have made applications
59on the same subject.
1EXPLANATION
2The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4This resolution constitutes a petition requesting the United
5States Congress to call a constitutional convention for the
6exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution
7of the United States proposing term limits for members of the
8United States senate and house of representatives.
9The resolution also provides that it shall serve as a
10continuing application to call a constitutional convention,
11until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several
12states have made application for a similar convention and the
13convention is convened by Congress. The resolution provides
14that it shall not be aggregated with applications requesting
15that constitutional conventions be called for other reasons.
16The resolution also requires that the secretary of the Iowa
17senate transmit copies of the resolution to the president and
18secretary of the United States senate, to the speaker, clerk,
19and judiciary committee chairperson of the United States house
20of representatives, to each senator and representative from
21Iowa in the Congress of the United States, and to the presiding
22officers of each legislative body of each of the several
23states, requesting the cooperation of the states in issuing
24an application compelling Congress to call a convention for
25proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the Constitution
26of the United States.
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2convention for the purpose of proposing an amendment to the
3Constitution of the United States relating to term limits
4for federal legislators.
5WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States
6provides that Congress must call a convention for the purpose
7of proposing amendments to the Constitution upon application by
8two-thirds of the states demanding such action;and
9WHEREAS, the general assembly of Iowa is hereby joining with
10other states in asserting rights and responsibilities under
11Article V of the Constitution of the United States with regard
12to proposing a congressional term limits amendment;and
13WHEREAS, the average length of service in Congress continues
14to rise which creates a detachment between the members and
15their constituents, making the American people feel they are no
16longer being listened to;and
17WHEREAS, open-seat elections will allow for more people to
18participate in the government from a variety of backgrounds
19providing better representation and more options for the voters
20on the ballots;and
21WHEREAS, the general assembly of Iowa, a body of citizen
22legislators, desires to restore rotation in office for members
23serving in the Congress of the United States;NOW THEREFORE,
24BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
25That the general assembly, as the legislature of the state of
26Iowa, pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United
27States, hereby applies to the Congress of the United States
28to call a convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an
29amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the
30number of terms that a person may be elected as a member of the
31United States house of representatives and to set a limit on
32the number of terms that a person may be elected as a member of
33the United States senate.
34BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of the Iowa
35senate transmit copies of this resolution to the president and
36secretary of the United States senate, the speaker, clerk, and
37judiciary committee chairperson of the United States house of
38representatives, to each senator and representative from Iowa
39in the Congress of the United States, and to the presiding
40officers of each legislative body of each of the several
41states, requesting the cooperation of the states in issuing
42an application compelling Congress to call a convention for
43proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the Constitution
44of the United States.
45BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application shall
46be considered as covering the same subject matter as the
47applications from other states to Congress to call a convention
48to set a limit on the number of terms that a person may be
49elected to the United States house of representatives and the
50United States senate; and this application shall be aggregated
51with the same for the purpose of attaining the two-thirds
52of states necessary to require Congress to call a limited
53convention on this subject, but shall not be aggregated with
54any other applications on any other subject.
55BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes
56a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the
57Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at
58least two-thirds of the several states have made applications
59on the same subject.
1EXPLANATION
2The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4This resolution constitutes a petition requesting the United
5States Congress to call a constitutional convention for the
6exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution
7of the United States proposing term limits for members of the
8United States senate and house of representatives.
9The resolution also provides that it shall serve as a
10continuing application to call a constitutional convention,
11until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several
12states have made application for a similar convention and the
13convention is convened by Congress. The resolution provides
14that it shall not be aggregated with applications requesting
15that constitutional conventions be called for other reasons.
16The resolution also requires that the secretary of the Iowa
17senate transmit copies of the resolution to the president and
18secretary of the United States senate, to the speaker, clerk,
19and judiciary committee chairperson of the United States house
20of representatives, to each senator and representative from
21Iowa in the Congress of the United States, and to the presiding
22officers of each legislative body of each of the several
23states, requesting the cooperation of the states in issuing
24an application compelling Congress to call a convention for
25proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the Constitution
26of the United States.
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