PRINTER'S NO. 905
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
134
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY EICHELBERGER, MARTIN, RAFFERTY AND WAGNER,
JUNE 4, 2017
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 4, 2017
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Petitioning the Congress of the United States to call a
convention of states limited to proposing a regulation
freedom amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
WHEREAS, The Founding Fathers, in drafting the Constitution
of the United States, empowered state legislators to be
guardians of liberty against future abuses of power by the
Federal Government; and
WHEREAS, The growth and abuse of Federal regulatory authority
threatens our constitutional liberties, including those
guaranteed by the Bill of Rights in the First, Second, Fourth,
Fifth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United
States; and
WHEREAS, Federal regulators must be more accountable to the
citizens of the United States and their elected representatives;
and
WHEREAS, The United States House of Representatives has
already passed, with bipartisan support, legislation to require
that the Congress of the United States approve major new Federal
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regulations before they take effect; and
WHEREAS, Even if enacted, a law may be repealed or waived by
a future Congress and President of the United States; and
WHEREAS, An amendment to the Constitution of the United
States does not require the approval of the President of the
United States and cannot be repealed or waived by a future
Congress and President of the United States; therefore be it
RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania petition,
under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the
United States, the Congress of the United States to call a
convention of states limited to proposing an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States to limit Federal regulatory
authority as follows:
"Whenever one quarter of the members of the United States
Senate or the United States House of Representatives or
the United States Senate transmits to the President of
the United States their written declaration of opposition
to a proposed Federal regulation, a majority vote of the
Senate and the House of Representatives shall be required
to adopt that regulation.";
and be it further
RESOLVED, That this resolution shall constitute a continuing
application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of
the United States until at least two-thirds of the legislatures
of the several states have made application for a convention on
the same subject; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this application be adopted with the
understanding that the General Assembly will, by law or rule,
create rules for the appointment of commissioners to a
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convention of states, including rules that govern the duties of
those commissioners, and require the commissioners to strictly
adhere to the limited subject matter of the convention contained
in this application; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a certified copy of this resolution be
transmitted by the Secretary of the Commonwealth to the
President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United
States House of Representatives, each member of the Pennsylvania
delegation to Congress and to the presiding officers of each
house of the state legislatures requesting their cooperation in
applying for an amendments convention limited to the subject
matter contemplated by this application.
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