83R74 KYF-F

By: Murphy H.J.R. No. 55

A JOINT RESOLUTION

applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention to propose an amendment to the United States Constitution to require the approval of a majority of the state legislatures before Congress may increase the federal debt.

WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution provides that on application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states Congress shall call a convention for proposing amendments to the constitution; and

WHEREAS, The 83rd Texas Legislature favors the proposal and ratification of an amendment to the constitution to require that an increase in the federal debt be approved by a majority of the legislatures of the several states; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 83rd Texas Legislature apply to Congress to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for the purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution to provide that an increase in the federal debt requires the approval of a majority of the legislatures of the several states; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the 83rd Texas Legislature apply only for a convention that is exclusively limited to the subject matter of proposing for ratification an amendment to the constitution providing that an increase in the federal debt requires approval from a majority of the legislatures of the several states; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That this application by the 83rd Texas Legislature constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the United States Constitution until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have applied to Congress to call a convention limited to the same exclusive purpose described in this application; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official copies of this resolution to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate of the Congress of the United States and to each member of the Texas delegation to Congress; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward certified copies of this resolution to the presiding officer of each house of the legislatures of the several states with a request for their cooperation in applying to Congress for a convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution to provide that an increase in the federal debt requires the approval of a majority of the legislatures of the several states.