Congressional Apportionment Amendment Deadline Act

Bill Number: H.J.Res. 186
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Congress
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-05-14: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Last Updated: 2026-05-29T14:26:39Z

AI-Generated Summary

This joint resolution aims to set a clear time limit for states to approve the Congressional Apportionment Amendment, an older proposed change to the Constitution that originally lacked any deadline.

Short Title: The measure is called the "Congressional Apportionment Amendment Deadline Act."
Ratification Deadline: The amendment becomes part of the Constitution only if approved by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states by December 31, 2026.
Invalidity After Deadline: Any state approvals received after December 31, 2026, would not count toward adopting the amendment.
Congressional Authority: The resolution states that Congress has the power under Article V of the Constitution to add reasonable rules for the approval process, including deadlines.

It introduces a firm cutoff date for an amendment proposed without one, altering the open-ended nature of the original proposal process.
This creates a new condition that did not exist when the amendment was first sent to the states.

On Government Agencies: Primarily affects state legislatures by limiting their window to act, and could influence Congress if the amendment is ratified and changes how seats are distributed.
On Citizens: Might affect representation in the House of Representatives if the amendment takes effect, though this would depend on future implementation.
On International Relations: No direct effects are outlined in the document.

U.S. Congress, which is asserting its role in the amendment process.
State legislatures, responsible for voting on ratification.
The general public, as the amendment relates to the size and makeup of the House of Representatives.

Raises questions about Congress's ability under Article V to add time limits to long-standing amendment proposals.
The resolution explicitly claims authority to set such conditions, which could lead to debates over the amendment process in the courts or among legal experts.
Politically, it seeks to either encourage or prevent final approval of this historical proposal by a specific date.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Congressional Apportionment Amendment Deadline Act — issued 2026-05-14 — PDF (2 pages)