Signed by Governor Henry McMaster

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that authorizes the state of South Carolina to join a "Convention of States" to limit the power of the federal government.

Highlights:

• Alleges the Congress of the United States should call an amendment convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress (Sec. 1.A).

• Requires this application to constitute a continuing application for the convention of the states until the legislatures of two-thirds of the states have made applications on the same subject and the convention has been called by the Congress of the United States. However, this application expires 10 years from the effective date of this joint resolution (Sec. 1.B).

• Requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Senate to transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and the Clerk of the United States Senate, the members of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation, and the legislatures of each of the several states, attesting to the enactment of this joint resolution by the South Carolina General Assembly (Sec. 1.C).

• Establishes the South Carolina General Assembly adopts this application expressly subject to the following reservations, understandings, and declarations (Sec. 2):

• An application to the Congress of the United States to call an amendment convention of the states confers no power to Congress other than the power to call such a convention;

• Congress will perform its ministerial duty of calling an amendment convention of the states only upon the receipt of applications for an amendment convention for the substantially same purpose as this application from two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states;

• Congress does not have the power or authority to determine any rules for the governing of an amendment convention of the states called;

• By definition, an amendment convention of the states means that states shall vote on the basis of one state, one vote;

• A convention of the states convened pursuant to this application must be limited to consideration of the topics specified in this joint resolution and no other. This application is made with the express understanding that an amendment that in any way seeks to amend, modify, or repeal any provision of the Bill of Rights, the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments to the United States Constitution shall not be authorized for consideration at any stage;

• Congress can determine whether proposed amendments will be ratified by the legislatures of the several states or by special state ratification conventions; and

• The South Carolina General Assembly can provide further instructions to its delegates and can recall its delegates at any time for a breach of a duty or a violation of the instructions provided.

• Specifies when determining commissioners or delegates, the appointing or electing body must take into account race, gender, and age so as to represent, to the greatest extent possible, all segments of the population of the State (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that authorizes the state of South Carolina to join a "Convention of States" to limit the power of the federal government.

Highlights:

• Alleges the Congress of the United States should call an amendment convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress (Sec. 1.A).

• Requires this application to constitute a continuing application for the convention of the states until the legislatures of two-thirds of the states have made applications on the same subject and the convention has been called by the Congress of the United States. However, this application expires 10 years from the effective date of this joint resolution (Sec. 1.B).

• Requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Senate to transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and the Clerk of the United States Senate, the members of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation, and the legislatures of each of the several states, attesting to the enactment of this joint resolution by the South Carolina General Assembly (Sec. 1.C).

• Establishes the South Carolina General Assembly adopts this application expressly subject to the following reservations, understandings, and declarations (Sec. 2):

• An application to the Congress of the United States to call an amendment convention of the states confers no power to Congress other than the power to call such a convention;

• Congress will perform its ministerial duty of calling an amendment convention of the states only upon the receipt of applications for an amendment convention for the substantially same purpose as this application from two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states;

• Congress does not have the power or authority to determine any rules for the governing of an amendment convention of the states called;

• By definition, an amendment convention of the states means that states shall vote on the basis of one state, one vote;

• A convention of the states convened pursuant to this application must be limited to consideration of the topics specified in this joint resolution and no other. This application is made with the express understanding that an amendment that in any way seeks to amend, modify, or repeal any provision of the Bill of Rights, the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments to the United States Constitution shall not be authorized for consideration at any stage;

• Congress can determine whether proposed amendments will be ratified by the legislatures of the several states or by special state ratification conventions; and

• The South Carolina General Assembly can provide further instructions to its delegates and can recall its delegates at any time for a breach of a duty or a violation of the instructions provided.

• Specifies when determining commissioners or delegates, the appointing or electing body must take into account race, gender, and age so as to represent, to the greatest extent possible, all segments of the population of the State (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the state of South Carolina to join a "Convention of States" to limit the power of the federal government.

Highlights:

• Alleges the Congress of the United States should call an amendment convention of the states limited to proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress (Sec. 1.A).

• Requires this application to constitute a continuing application for the convention of the states until the legislatures of two-thirds of the states have made applications on the same subject and the convention has been called by the Congress of the United States. However, this application expires 10 years from the effective date of this joint resolution (Sec. 1.B).

• Requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Senate to transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and the Clerk of the United States Senate, the members of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation, and the legislatures of each of the several states, attesting to the enactment of this joint resolution by the South Carolina General Assembly (Sec. 1.C).

• Establishes the South Carolina General Assembly adopts this application expressly subject to the following reservations, understandings, and declarations (Sec. 2):

• An application to the Congress of the United States to call an amendment convention of the states confers no power to Congress other than the power to call such a convention;

• Congress will perform its ministerial duty of calling an amendment convention of the states only upon the receipt of applications for an amendment convention for the substantially same purpose as this application from two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states;

• Congress does not have the power or authority to determine any rules for the governing of an amendment convention of the states called;

• By definition, an amendment convention of the states means that states shall vote on the basis of one state, one vote;

• A convention of the states convened pursuant to this application must be limited to consideration of the topics specified in this joint resolution and no other. This application is made with the express understanding that an amendment that in any way seeks to amend, modify, or repeal any provision of the Bill of Rights, the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments to the United States Constitution shall not be authorized for consideration at any stage;

• Congress can determine whether proposed amendments will be ratified by the legislatures of the several states or by special state ratification conventions; and

• The South Carolina General Assembly can provide further instructions to its delegates and can recall its delegates at any time for a breach of a duty or a violation of the instructions provided.

• Specifies when determining commissioners or delegates, the appointing or electing body must take into account race, gender, and age so as to represent, to the greatest extent possible, all segments of the population of the State (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text