HB42 Alabama 2016 Session

Under Article V of the United States Constitution, Congress must call a convention upon the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of the states to consider proposed amendments to the Constitution. Proposed amendments must then be ratified by three-fourths of the states

This bill would adopt the Compact for a Balanced Budget to facilitate the calling of an Article V constitutional convention with the intent of amending the United States Constitution to include a balanced budget requirement for Congress

The Compact would govern membership and withdrawal of Compact members, establish the compact Commission to promote the Compact and to coordinate performance of obligations under the Compact, provide procedures for applying for an Article V constitutional convention, specify qualifications and duties of convention delegates, and establish rules for the convention

To adopt the Compact for a Balanced Budget; to facilitate the calling of an Article V constitutional convention with the intent of amending the United States Constitution to include a balanced budget requirement for Congress; to provide for membership and withdrawal of compact members; to establish a Compact Commission; to provide procedures for applying for an Article V constitutional convention; to specify qualifications and duties of convention delegates; to establish rules for the convention; and to provide for the venue of the convention. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1. The State of Alabama enacts, adopts, and agrees to be bound by the following compact: ARTICLE I. DECLARATION OF POLICY, PURPOSE, AND INTENT Whereas, every State enacting, adopting, and agreeing to be bound by this compact intends to ensure that their respective legislatures use of the power to originate a Balanced Budget Amendment under Article V of the Constitution of the United States will be exercised conveniently and with reasonable certainty as to the consequences thereof. Now, therefore, in consideration of their expressed mutual promises and obligations, be it enacted by every State enacting, adopting, and agreeing to be bound by this Compact, and resolved by each of their respective legislatures, as the case may be, to exercise herewith all of their respective powers as set forth herein notwithstanding any law to the contrary. ARTICLE II DEFINITIONS Section 1. "Compact" means this "Compact for a Balanced Budget." Section 2. "Convention" means the convention for proposing amendments organized by this Compact under Article V of the Constitution of the United States and, where contextually appropriate to ensure the terms of this Compact are not evaded, any other similar gathering or body, which might be organized as a consequence of Congress receiving the application set out in this Compact and claim authority to propose or effectuate any amendment, alteration, or revision to the Constitution of the United States. This term does not encompass a convention for proposing amendments under Article V of the Constitution of the United States that is organized independently of the Compact based on the separate and distinct application of any State. Section 3. "State" means one of the several States of the United States. Where contextually appropriate, the term "State" shall be construed to include all of its branches, departments, agencies, political subdivisions, and officers and representatives acting in their official capacity. Section 4. "Member State" means a State that has enacted, adopted, and agreed to be bound to this Compact. For any State to qualify as a Member State with respect to any other State under this Compact, each such State must have enacted, adopted, and agreed to be bound by substantively identical compact legislation. Section 5. "Compact Notice Recipients" means the Archivist of the United States, the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Office of the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the chief executive officer of each State, and the presiding officer of each house of the legislatures of the several States. Section 6. Notice. All notices required by this compact shall be by U.S. Certified Mail, return receipt requested, or an equivalent or superior form of notice, such as personal delivery documented by evidence of actual receipt. Section 7. "Balanced Budget Amendment" means the following: ARTICLE __ Section 1. Total outlays of the government of the United States shall not exceed total receipts of the government of the United States at any point in time unless the excess of outlays over receipts is financed exclusively by debt issued in strict conformity with this article. Section 2. Outstanding debt shall not exceed authorized debt, which initially shall be an amount equal to 105 percent of the outstanding debt on the effective date of this article. Authorized debt shall not be increased above the initial amount unless the increase is first approved by the legislatures of the several states as provided in Section 3. Section 3. From time to time, Congress may increase authorized debt to an amount in excess of its initial amount set by Section 2 only if it first publicly refers to the legislatures of the several states an unconditional, single subject measure proposing the amount of such increase, in such form as provided by law, and the measure is thereafter publicly and unconditionally approved by a simple majority of the legislatures of the several states, in such form as provided respectively by state law; provided that no inducement requiring an expenditure or tax levy shall be demanded, offered, or accepted as a quid pro quo for the approval. If such approval is not obtained within sixty (60) calendar days after referral, the measure shall be deemed disapproved and the authorized debt shall thereby remain unchanged. Section 4. Whenever the outstanding debt exceeds 98 percent of the debt limit set by Section 2, the President shall enforce said limit by publicly designating specific expenditures for impoundment in an amount sufficient to ensure outstanding debt does not exceed the authorized debt. Said impoundment shall become effective thirty (30) days thereafter, unless Congress first designates an alternate impoundment of the same or greater amount by concurrent resolution, which shall become immediately effective. The failure of the President to designate or enforce the required impoundment is an impeachable misdemeanor. Any purported issuance or incurrence of any debt in excess of the debt limit set by Section 2 is void. Section 5. No bill that provides for a new or increased general revenue tax shall become law unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of the whole number of each House of Congress. However, this requirement shall not apply to any bill that provides for a new end user sales tax that would completely replace every existing income tax levied by the government of the United States; or for the reduction or elimination of an exemption, deduction, or credit allowed under an existing general revenue tax. Section 6. For purposes of this article, "debt" means any obligation backed by the full faith and credit of the government of the United States; "outstanding debt" means all debt held in any account and by any entity at a given point in time; "authorized debt" means the maximum total amount of debt that may be lawfully issued and outstanding at any single point in time under this article; "total outlays of the government of the United States" means all expenditures of the government of the United States from any source; "total receipts of the government of the United States" means all tax receipts and other income of the government of the United States, excluding proceeds from its issuance or incurrence of debt or any type of liability; "impoundment" means a proposal not to spend all or part of a sum of money appropriated by Congress; and "general revenue tax" means any income tax, sales tax, or value-added tax levied by the government of the United States excluding imports and duties. Section 7. This article is immediately operative upon ratification, self-enforcing, and Congress may enact conforming legislation to facilitate enforcement. ARTICLE III COMPACT MEMBERSHIP AND WITHDRAWAL Section 1. This Compact governs each Member State to the fullest extent permitted by their respective constitutions, superseding and repealing any conflicting or contrary law. Section 2. By becoming a Member State, each such State offers, promises, and agrees to perform and comply strictly in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Compact, and has made such offer, promise, and agreement in anticipation and consideration of, and in substantial reliance upon, such mutual and reciprocal performance and compliance by each other current and future Member State, if any. Accordingly, in addition to having the force of law in each Member State upon its respective effective date, this Compact and each of its Articles shall also be construed as contractually binding each Member State when: (a) at least one other State has likewise become a Member State by enacting substantively identical legislation adopting and agreeing to be bound by this Compact; and (b) notice of the State's Member State status is or has been seasonably received by the Compact Administrator, if any, or otherwise by the chief executive officer of each other Member State. Section 3. For purposes of determining Member State status under this Compact, as long as all other provisions of the Compact remain identical and operative on the same terms, legislation enacting, adopting, and agreeing to be bound by this Compact shall be deemed and regarded as "substantively identical" with respect to such other legislation enacted by another State notwithstanding: (a) any difference in Section of Article IV with specific regard to the respectively enacting State's own method of appointing its member to the Commission; (b) any difference in Section 5 of Article IV with specific regard to the respectively enacting State's own obligation to fund the Commission; (c) any difference in Sections 1 and 2 of Article VI with specific regard to the number and identity of each delegate respectively appointed on behalf of the enacting State, provided that no more than three delegates may attend and participate in the Convention on behalf of any State; or (d) any difference in Section 7 of Article X with specific regard to the respectively enacting State as to whether Section 1 of Article V of this Compact shall survive termination of the Compact, and thereafter become a continuing resolution of the Legislature of such State applying to Congress for the calling of a convention of the states under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, under such terms and limitations as may be specified by such State. Section 4. When fewer than three-fourths of the States are Member States, any member state may withdraw from this Compact by enacting appropriate legislation, as determined by state law, and giving notice of such withdrawal to the Compact Administrator, if any, or otherwise to the chief executive officer of each other Member State. A withdrawal shall not affect the validity or applicability of the Compact with respect to remaining Member States, provided that there remain at least two such States. However, once at least three-fourths of the States are Member States, no member state may withdraw from the Compact prior to its termination absent unanimous consent of all Member States. ARTICLE IV COMPACT COMMISSION AND COMPACT ADMINISTRATOR Section 1. Nature of the Compact Commission. The Compact Commission ("Commission") is hereby established. It has the power and duty: (a) to appoint and oversee a Compact Administrator; (b) to encourage States to join the compact and Congress to call the Convention in accordance with this Compact; (c) to coordinate the performance of obligations under the Compact; (d) to oversee the Convention's logistical operations, as appropriate to ensure this Compact governs its proceedings; (e) to oversee the defense and enforcement of the Compact in appropriate legal venues; (f) to request funds and to disburse those funds to support the operations of the Commission, Compact Administrator, and Convention; and (g) to cooperate with any entity that shares a common interest with the Commission and engages in policy research, public interest litigation, or lobbying in support of the purposes of the Compact. The Commission shall have only such implied powers as are essential to carrying out these express powers and duties. It shall take no action that contravenes or is inconsistent with this Compact or any law of any state that is not superseded by this Compact. It may adopt and publish corresponding bylaws and policies. Section 2. Commission Membership. The Commission initially consists of three unpaid members. Each Member State may appoint one member to the Commission through an appointment process to be determined by their respective chief executive officer until all positions on the Commission are filled. Positions shall be assigned to appointees in the order in which their respective appointing States became Member States. The bylaws of the commission may expand its membership to include representatives of additional Member States and to allow for modest salaries and reimbursement of expenses if adequate funding exists. Section 3. Commission Action. Each Commission member is entitled to one vote. The Commission may not act unless a majority of its appointed membership is present, and no action is binding unless approved by a majority of the Commission's appointed membership. The Commission shall meet at least once a year, and may meet more frequently. Section 4. First Order of Business. The Commission, at the earliest possible time, shall elect from among its membership a chairperson, determine a primary place of doing business, and appoint a Compact Administrator. Section 5. Funding. The Commission and the Compact Administrator's activities shall be funded exclusively by each Member State, as determined by their respective state law, or by voluntary donations. Section 6. Compact Administrator. The Compact Administrator has the power and duty: (a) to timely notify the States of the date, time, and location of the Convention; (b) to organize and direct the logistical operations of the Convention; (c) to maintain an accurate list of all Member States, their appointed delegates, including contact information; and (d) to formulate, transmit, and maintain all official notices, records, and communications relating to this Compact. The Compact Administrator shall have only such implied powers as are essential to carrying out these express powers and duties; and shall take no action that contravenes or is inconsistent with this compact or any law of any State that is not superseded by this Compact. The Compact Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Commission and must keep the Commission seasonably apprised of the performance or nonperformance of the terms and conditions of this Compact. Any notice sent by a Member State to the Compact Administrator concerning this Compact shall be adequate notice to each other Member State provided that a copy of said notice is seasonably delivered by the Compact Administrator to each other Member State's respective chief executive officer. Section 7. Notice of Key Events. Upon the occurrence of each of the following described events, or otherwise as soon as possible, the Compact Administrator shall send immediately the following notices to all Compact Notice Recipients, together with certified conforming copies of the chaptered version of this Compact as maintained in the statutes of each Member State: (a) whenever any State becomes a Member State, notice of that fact shall be given; (b) once at least three-fourths of the States are Member States, notice of that fact shall be given together with a statement declaring that the legislatures of at least two-thirds of the several States have applied for a convention for proposing amendments under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, petitioning Congress to call the Convention contemplated by this Compact, and further requesting cooperation in organizing the same in accordance with this Compact; (c) once Congress has called the Convention contemplated by this Compact, and whenever the date, time, and location of the Convention has been determined, notice of that fact shall be given together with the date, time, and location of the Convention and other essential logistical matters; (d) upon approval of the Balanced Budget Amendment by the Convention, notice of that fact shall be given together with the transmission of certified copies of the approved proposed amendment and a statement requesting Congress to refer the same for ratification by three-fourths of the legislatures of the several States under Article V of the Constitution of the United States (however, in no event shall any proposed amendment other than the Balanced Budget Amendment be transmitted); and (e) when any Article of this Compact prospectively ratifying the Balanced Budget Amendment is effective in any Member State, notice of the same shall be given together with a statement declaring such ratification and further requesting cooperation in ensuring that the official record confirms and reflects the effective corresponding amendment to the Constitution of the United States. However, whenever any Member State enacts appropriate legislation, as determined by the laws of the respective State, withdrawing from this Compact, the Compact Administrator shall immediately send certified conforming copies of the chaptered version of the withdrawal legislation as maintained in the statutes of each withdrawing Member State, solely to each chief executive officer of each remaining Member State, giving notice of the withdrawal. Section 8. Cooperation. The Commission, Member States, and Compact Administrator shall cooperate with each other and give each other mutual assistance in enforcing this Compact and shall give the chief law enforcement officer of each other Member State any information or documents that are reasonably necessary to facilitate the enforcement of this Compact. Section 9. This Article does not take effect until there are at least two Member States. ARTICLE V RESOLUTION APPLYING FOR CONVENTION Section 1.