What This Bill Does
This bill removes time limits on ratifying a proposed constitutional amendment. The bill states that an amendment proposed to the states in a 1972 House Joint Resolution is now valid as part of the U.S. Constitution, despite any deadline that was previously set for ratification.
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Who It Affects
The bill directly affects the ratification process for a constitutional amendment. It does not name specific people, businesses or agencies impacted by the change.
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Key Provisions
- The article of amendment proposed in House Joint Resolution 208 from 1972 becomes valid as part of the U.S. Constitution without any time limit (Main text)
- The amendment is considered ratified if three-fourths of state legislatures have already approved it (Main text)
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, any previous deadline for ratifying the 1972 amendment proposal no longer applies. The amendment would be treated as valid based on state ratifications that already occurred, regardless of when those ratifications happened.
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Important Definitions
Ratification: the official approval of an amendment by state legislatures. Three-fourths of the several States: approval by 38 of the 50 state legislatures.
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
IA
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 25
Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Ms. PRESSLEY (for herself, Ms. SPANBERGER, Ms. BUSH, Ms. DEAN of Penn-
sylvania, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. MATSUI, Ms.
BONAMICI, Mr. KEATING, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. JA-
COBS, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. MOULTON, Mr.
SABLAN, Mr. THANEDAR, Mr. PETERS, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. NADLER,
Mr. TORRES of New York, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. GREEN of
Texas, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. BERA, Mr. CARSON, Mr.
KIM of New Jersey, Ms. CRAIG, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. BALINT, Mr.
PASCRELL, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms.
PETTERSEN, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. DELUZIO, Mr. PAPPAS, Ms. HOULAHAN,
Mr. ALLRED, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. SOTO, Mr. TRONE,
Mr. PHILLIPS, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. ROSS, Mr. KILMER, Ms. TITUS, Mr.
PAYNE, Mr. BEYER, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. NORTON, Ms.
SLOTKIN, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr.
CONNOLLY, Ms. MENG, Mr. STANTON, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms.
STEVENS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. OMAR, Mrs.
HAYES, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. RASKIN,
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. GOLDEN of Maine, Mr. CROW, Ms. WEXTON, Mr.
GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. COSTA, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. PANETTA,
Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. MORELLE, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. CHU,
Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. MANNING, Ms. PORTER,
Mr. MULLIN, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. MFUME, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms.
SA´NCHEZ, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mrs. FLETCHER, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms.
LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr.
DESAULNIER, Mr. POCAN, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. LEVIN, Ms.
BARRAGA´N, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mrs. TORRES of California, Ms.
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. AGUILAR, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms.
TLAIB, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr.
ROBERT GARCIA of California, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. DELAURO, Mr.
GALLEGO, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CASTEN, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK,
Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. BROWN, Ms. WILD, Mrs. LEE of Nevada, Ms.
DELBENE, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Ms. HOYLE of Or-
egon, and Ms. CLARKE of New York) submitted the following joint resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
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•HJ 25 IH
JOINT RESOLUTION
Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights
amendment.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
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of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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That notwithstanding any time limit contained in House
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Joint Resolution 208, 92d Congress, as agreed to in the
4
Senate on March 22, 1972, the article of amendment pro-
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posed to the States in that joint resolution is valid to all
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intents and purposes as part of the United States Con-
7
stitution having been ratified by the legislatures of three-
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fourths of the several States.
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Æ
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