Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that certain individuals are natural born citizens.
- Bill Number
- H.J.Res. 188
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-20: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-16T18:52:14Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require certain federal officials to be natural born citizens. The goal is to establish this citizenship requirement for specific roles in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
Key Provisions
- Section 1: Prohibits any person who is not a natural born citizen from serving as a Representative in the House. This rule would begin on the third day of January in the first odd-numbered year after the amendment is ratified.
- Section 2: Prohibits any person who is not a natural born citizen from serving as a Senator. This applies starting at the end of the current term for which the Senator was elected, with the same effective date as for Representatives.
- Section 3: Extends the requirement to federal judges, including those on the Supreme Court and lower courts, overriding existing provisions in Article III of the Constitution. It takes effect six months after ratification.
- Section 4: Applies the natural born citizen rule to Ambassadors, public Ministers, Consuls, and other U.S. officers whose positions require Senate confirmation. This also becomes effective six months after ratification.
The amendment would become part of the Constitution only after approval by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states, within seven years of submission.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
Current constitutional rules set minimum years of U.S. citizenship for members of Congress (seven years for Representatives and nine for Senators) but do not require natural born status. No explicit citizenship rules exist for federal judges or most Senate-confirmed officers. This proposal would add a stricter natural born citizen standard to these positions, creating new eligibility barriers not present in the original Constitution.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies and operations: Federal courts, Congress, and diplomatic positions could face delays or vacancies if current officeholders or nominees do not meet the new standard, particularly during the transition periods specified.
- On citizens: Individuals born outside the United States or without qualifying parental citizenship would be barred from running for or holding these offices, narrowing the pool of eligible candidates.
- On international relations: Restrictions on non-natural born citizens in ambassadorial and ministerial roles might limit the selection of individuals with foreign birth or background for diplomatic posts.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Current and prospective members of Congress (Representatives and Senators).
- Federal judges at all levels.
- Appointed officials such as Ambassadors and other Senate-confirmed officers.
- State legislatures, which would vote on ratification.
- U.S. citizens interested in these public service roles.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
This amendment would expand the natural born citizen requirement—currently limited to the presidency—across additional branches of government. It involves overriding parts of Article III for judges and introduces staggered effective dates to manage transitions. Ratification would mark a significant constitutional shift, requiring broad state-level approval and potentially affecting long-term eligibility rules for high-level positions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-20: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-05-20: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-20: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that certain individuals are natural born citizens. — issued 2026-05-20 — PDF (2 pages)