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Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to temporarily fill vacancies in the House of Representatives to further the continuity of Congress.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to temporarily fill vacancies in the House of Representatives to further the continuity of Congress.
Summary
- Proposes a constitutional amendment requiring each House Representative to provide a list of at least five designees to temporarily fill their seat if they die while in office.
- Authorizes the state chief executive to select a designee from the list within 10 days of a Representative's death, with the Speaker immediately filling the vacancy.
- Provides that designated replacements serve as full Representatives for all legal purposes until a special election fills the vacancy.
- Establishes a succession mechanism where if a designated replacement dies, the state chief executive selects from that replacement's designee list.
- Requires ratification by three-fourths of the states within seven years for the amendment to take effect.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
Actions (2)
- Jul 2, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Jul 2, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.J. Res. 199 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. J. RES. 199
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to temporarily fill vacancies in the House of Representatives to further the continuity of Congress.
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to temporarily fill vacancies in the House of Representatives to further the continuity of Congress.
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. Immediately after taking the oath of office, an individual who is elected to serve as a Representative in the House of Representatives shall provide the House of Representatives with a list of at least five designees to take the individual’s place in the event the individual dies prior to the expiration of the individual’s term of office. The individual shall ensure that the list only contains the names of designees who meet the qualifications for service as a Representative in the House of Representatives. “Section 2. In the event of the death of a Representative, the chief executive of the State involved shall, not later than 10 days after the date of the death of the Representative, select an individual from the most recent list of designees provided by the Representative whose seat is now vacant, as provided by section 1, and the Speaker of the House shall immediately fill the vacancy with the individual selected. An individual designated to take the place of a Representative shall serve until another Member is elected to fill the vacancy pursuant to a special election. “Section 3. During the period of an individual’s service under section 2, the individual shall be treated as a Representative in the House of Representatives for purposes of all laws, rules, and regulations, including for purposes of section 1. In the event of the death of an individual designated under section 2, the chief executive of the State involved shall select an individual from the most recent list of designees provided by the individual designated under section 2, as provided by section 1, and the Speaker of the House shall immediately fill the vacancy with the individual selected.”. <all>
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