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.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Official Summary
Official summary has not been imported yet.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™This House Joint Resolution (HJRES 118) proposes a constitutional amendment to temporarily fill vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives to ensure the continuity of Congress. The amendment aims to address situations where seats become vacant, potentially allowing for temporary appointments or other mechanisms to maintain full representation during such periods. The bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary but did not advance and is currently classified as failed or expired. No official summary or full text is available to provide detailed provisions.
HJRES 118 sought to amend the Constitution to temporarily fill House vacancies to maintain congressional continuity but did not progress beyond committee referral and has expired.
- Proposes a constitutional amendment specifically targeting temporary filling of House of Representatives vacancies.
- Intended to enhance the continuity of Congress by addressing gaps caused by vacant seats.
- Referred to the House Judiciary Committee on March 7, 2024, but did not advance and is now failed/expired.
['Members of the U.S. House of Representatives', 'Congress as an institution', 'Constituents of districts with vacant House seats', 'Potentially state governments involved in implementing temporary vacancy procedures']
['Lack of detailed text limits understanding of specific mechanisms for temporary filling of vacancies.', 'Constitutional amendments require broad consensus and ratification by states, posing procedural challenges.', 'Potential tradeoffs between temporary appointments and the traditional special election process.', 'Oversight and authority for temporary appointments or procedures are not specified in available information.']
The bill was introduced in the 118th Congress and referred to the House Judiciary Committee but did not advance further. It addresses a procedural issue within the legislative branch concerning how vacancies in the House are handled. The absence of a full bill text or summary limits detailed legislative context. The bill is currently classified as failed or expired.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['If enacted, could reduce the duration of unrepresented districts in the House, potentially affecting legislative voting dynamics.', 'May shift some authority or responsibility to state governments or other entities for temporary appointments.', 'Could influence future legislative proposals on congressional continuity and vacancy procedures.']
Transparency is limited due to the absence of an official bill summary and full text, restricting public and oversight bodies' ability to fully evaluate the amendment's provisions and implications. The bill's failure to advance past committee and its expired status indicate limited legislative momentum. Monitoring similar future proposals may be warranted to assess evolving approaches to congressional continuity.
GovScope Intelligence Roadmap
Future bill intelligence will connect sponsors, committee referrals, related votes, campaign finance, disclosures, and stock trades into one legislative intelligence view.