Section 1 — Constitutional Rights Reserved to Natural Persons
Only natural persons, meaning human individuals, shall be entitled to the rights and constitutional protections guaranteed under this Constitution.
No entity of legal or technological creation—including corporations, partnerships, associations, unions, nonprofits, political organizations, or any other artificial entity—shall be considered a “person” for purposes of constitutional rights.
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to deny that such entities may possess legal status, capacities, obligations, or privileges as expressly provided by law, provided that no such statutory grant shall be interpreted to confer constitutional rights.
Section 2 — Equal Human Dignity
The rights guaranteed to natural persons under this Constitution shall apply equally to all such persons, inherent in their human dignity, and without regard to wealth, status, power, or political influence.
No artificially created entity may claim rights equal to, superior to, or in conflict with the rights of natural persons, and in any such conflict the rights of natural persons shall prevail.
Section 3 — Limitations on Artificial Entities
Artificial entities may be granted legal status and statutory privileges or obligations by Congress or the States. Any such privileges or obligations shall be subject to the following conditions:
Congress and the States may regulate, restrict, dissolve, or restructure artificial entities in accordance with the public interest and consistent with this Constitution.
Section 4 — Prohibition on Constitutional Rights for Corporate Political Influence
No artificial entity shall possess or exercise constitutional rights, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of obtaining political influence, advantage, or immunity in democratic governance, including but not limited to:
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit artificial entities from engaging in lawful activities, expression, or advocacy as permitted by statute, provided that no such activity shall be deemed protected by constitutional rights.
Section 5 — Preemption
Any judicial doctrine, precedent, ruling, or interpretation—past, present, or future—that recognizes or affords constitutional rights to artificial entities in a manner inconsistent with this Article is hereby superseded, void, and without effect, and shall not be relied upon by any court of the United States or of any State.
This includes, but is not limited to, doctrines or interpretations relating to:
Section 6 — Rule of Construction
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to abridge or restrict the rights of natural persons to speak, publish, associate, organize, assemble, or petition the government through any lawful medium, organization, or collective arrangement.
The rights protected by this Constitution attach solely to natural persons and may not be claimed, exercised, or asserted by artificial entities, even when such entities are used as instruments, vehicles, or representatives for collective action by natural persons.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to limit the ability of natural persons to act collectively through artificial entities, provided that constitutional rights are exercised solely by the natural persons themselves.
Section 1 — Recognition of Essential Rights
Every person within the United States is entitled to the material and social foundations necessary to meaningfully exercise life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
These rights are inherent, universal, and fundamental to a democratic society, and may not be denied or rendered inaccessible through neglect, discrimination, or systemic deprivation.
The essential rights recognized and guaranteed by this Article include, at a minimum:
a) an environment capable of sustaining human life and health,
b) ecosystems that maintain long-term stability and biodiversity, and
c) climate conditions that support the continuation of human civilization;
6. Gainful employment with fair wages and safe working conditions;
7. Reasonable leisure time and protection from exploitative labor demands;
8. A dignified retirement, supported by reliable social protections;
9. Representative governance of, by, and for the People, free from domination by wealth or concentrated power.
Section 2 — Mandate to Promote the General Welfare
Pursuant to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which empowers Congress to provide for the common defense and general welfare, Congress shall, through reasonable legislative judgment:
necessary to secure and uphold those rights.
No interpretation of “general welfare,” nor any failure to act, shall permit neglect, deprivation, or systemic inequality inconsistent with the essential rights recognized in this Article.
In exercising such judgment with respect to the rights recognized in this Article, legislative and regulatory action shall be informed by the best available scientific evidence and transparent public analysis, and scientific processes shall be protected from political distortion or suppression.
Section 3 — Prohibition on Rollbacks
No federal, state, or local government shall enact or maintain any law, policy, practice, or omission that has the purpose or effect of:
Any law, policy, or practice in violation of this Section is unconstitutional and void.
Section 4 — Environmental and Biospheric Protection
To secure the right to a habitable biosphere, the United States shall maintain environmental protections grounded in established scientific consensus, safeguard ecosystems and natural resources, mitigate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and pursue sustainability policies necessary for long-term human survival and ecological stability.
Congress shall establish and enforce national environmental standards sufficient to protect these interests. Such standards shall constitute minimum protections and shall not preclude States from adopting more protective measures consistent with this Constitution.
Section 5 — Bodily Autonomy and Medical Self-Determination
Every natural person possesses the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and medical self-determination.
No law or policy of the United States, or of any State or subdivision thereof, shall compel any individual to initiate, sustain, endure, or undergo a biological or medical condition involving the use of their body without that individual’s voluntary and informed consent.
This right includes authority over one’s own body, biological processes, and medical decisions, exercised according to the individual’s judgment and values, informed by consultation with licensed medical professionals, and shall not be overridden by moral, ideological, or religious belief.
Section 6 — Medical Regulation and Public Health
Government may regulate the practice of medicine and protect public health through evidence-based standards grounded in established scientific consensus, peer-reviewed research, professional medical accreditation, and recognized public health best practices, including professional licensing and disease-prevention measures.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to authorize the government to compel the initiation or continuation of any biological condition or bodily process in a manner inconsistent with individual liberty, informed consent, medical ethics, and constitutional restraint.
Public health authority shall be exercised in a manner narrowly tailored to legitimate public health objectives and shall not be used to override informed medical decision-making based on moral, ideological, or religious belief.
Section 7 — Rule of Construction
This Article shall be interpreted to preserve bodily autonomy as a fundamental condition of liberty and human dignity, and shall be construed neither to impair legitimate public health governance consistent with Sections 5 and 6 of this Article nor to permit involuntary bodily servitude.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to restrict, prohibit, or interfere with the lawful provision, dispensing, administration, or use of contraception, or with the provision of comprehensive, respectful, age-appropriate, and science-based sexual education.
The protections of this Article shall be interpreted consistently with the Right to Privacy and Data Sovereignty established in Article XV of this Amendment.
Section 8 — Enforcement
Congress shall create and maintain mechanisms for monitoring compliance with this Article, investigating violations, enforcing remedies, and ensuring that individuals have standing and meaningful access to judicial relief for the denial of any essential right recognized herein.
Courts shall be empowered to grant appropriate legal and equitable relief consistent with this Article.
No branch or level of government may interpret or apply this Article narrowly or in a manner contrary to its plain purpose: to guarantee the material, social, and structural foundations of human dignity and a functioning democratic society.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to require uniformity of means, provided that the substantive rights and access guaranteed herein are secured.
Section 1 — Fundamental Right to Privacy
Every natural person possesses the fundamental right to privacy in their person, home, communications, movements, associations, and personal information, including information that identifies, describes, tracks, or may reasonably be linked to that person.
This right protects against unreasonable collection, retention, analysis, use, or disclosure of such information and shall not be denied, abridged, or infringed by the United States, any State, or any subdivision thereof, except as expressly provided in this Article.
Section 2 — Personal Data as a Protected Interest
Personal data shall remain under the control of the natural person to whom it relates.
No personal data may be collected, retained, analyzed, used, transferred, sold, or otherwise processed without the individual’s voluntary, informed, and revocable consent, except as expressly provided in this Article.
Consent shall be specific, freely given, and understandable, and shall not be presumed from silence, inactivity, bundled agreements, or the mere use of a service. The denial or withdrawal of consent shall not result in the deprivation of essential services or rights.
Individuals shall have the right to access, correct, restrict, export, and delete their personal data, and to know how such data is collected, used, shared, or monetized.
Section 3 — Limits on Surveillance and Data Collection
Mass, bulk, or persistent surveillance of natural persons is prohibited.
No government entity, nor any private entity acting on behalf of or in cooperation with government, shall collect, retain, analyze, or use personal data for the purpose of tracking, profiling, monitoring, or predicting the behavior, associations, or movements of individuals, except pursuant to a warrant issued upon probable cause and particularly describing the person, data, and purpose involved.
Private entities not acting on behalf of government shall not engage in mass, bulk, or persistent surveillance of individuals without the voluntary, informed, and revocable consent required by this Article.
Personal data collected for a specific, lawful purpose shall not be retained or repurposed for a different purpose without renewed consent or lawful authorization consistent with this Article.
Section 4 — Limits on Algorithmic Profiling and Automated Decision-Making
No government entity, nor any private entity acting on behalf of, in coordination with, or under contract with the government, shall:
through algorithmic systems, artificial intelligence, or automated data processing, unless all of the following conditions are met:
Government-operated or government-contracted social scoring systems are prohibited.
Section 5 — Data Brokers, Sale, and Commercial Exploitation of Personal Data
The sale, trade, licensing, transfer, or other commercial exploitation of personal data is prohibited unless expressly authorized by the voluntary, informed, and revocable consent of the natural person to whom the data relates.
Personal data shall include data derived, inferred, predicted, or generated from the analysis of other personal data, whether or not such data is claimed to be anonymized, aggregated, or de-identified, where such data can reasonably be linked to an individual or used to affect that individual.
No person or entity may collect, acquire, or use personal data obtained in violation of this Article, nor may any person or entity benefit from such data.
Consent for commercial use of personal data shall be separate from consent for access to essential services and shall not be coerced, bundled, or conditioned upon the waiver of constitutional rights.
Section 6 — Protection Against Covert Data Exploitation
No government entity shall:
Section 7 — Preservation of Legitimate Government Functions
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to prohibit:
Section 8 — Relationship to Other Constitutional Rights
The rights guaranteed by this Article are distinct from, and in addition to, the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment, the First Amendment, the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, and Articles XI and XII of this Amendment.
The protections of this Article shall be interpreted independently of existing search-and-seizure, speech, or due process doctrines, and nothing in this Article shall be construed to diminish, limit, or displace any other constitutional right.
Section 9 — Enforcement
Congress shall enact legislation necessary to implement and enforce this Article, including limits on data retention and secondary use, transparency and auditing requirements, civil remedies for violations, and penalties sufficient to deter abuse.
Such legislation shall provide for effective enforcement against any government or private actor subject to this Article and shall not be designed or applied so as to frustrate its purposes.
Individuals shall have standing to seek appropriate legal and equitable relief for violations of this Article.
Section 1 — Constitutional Recognition and Institutional Responsibility
The United States acknowledges that grave injustices were committed under color of law and government authority against Indigenous peoples through dispossession, broken treaties, forced removal, and systemic suppression of sovereignty, and against the descendants of enslaved persons through chattel slavery, legalized racial subjugation, and structurally enforced discrimination.
These injustices produced enduring social, economic, and political disparities that remain measurable across generations.
The recognition of these historical wrongs does not impose moral guilt or personal culpability upon individuals living in the present. No person shall be deemed individually responsible for acts committed prior to their birth.
However, a constitutional republic bears an ongoing institutional responsibility to confront the consequences of its own history. The People of the United States, acting through this Constitution, affirm a collective civic duty to pursue good-faith measures designed to repair enduring structural harm to the greatest extent reasonably practicable.
The purpose of this Article is not to assign inherited blame, but to strengthen the legitimacy, unity, and moral integrity of the Republic by addressing persistent inequities rooted in governmental action.
Section 2 — Establishment of the Commission on Historical Justice and Structural Repair
There is hereby established a permanent constitutional body to be known as the Commission on Historical Justice and Structural Repair.
The Commission shall:
The Commission shall be a permanent body and shall issue public reports not less than once every two (2) years.
The Commission shall not possess independent taxing, spending, or regulatory authority. Its function shall be investigative, advisory, and oversight in nature, with implementation authority remaining vested in Congress.
Congress shall provide adequate funding to ensure the Commission’s independent operation.
Section 3 — Composition of the Commission
The Commission shall consist of members appointed in a manner designed to ensure independence, expertise, and meaningful representation.
The Commission shall include:
No appointing authority shall control a majority of the Commission.
Members shall serve staggered terms as defined by law to preserve continuity and independence.
The Commission shall operate transparently, conduct public hearings, and maintain publicly accessible records except where limited by narrowly tailored confidentiality requirements.
Section 4 — Scope of Potential Remedies
In formulating recommendations pursuant to this Article, the Commission may consider and propose remedies responsive to identified historical harms, which may include, but are not limited to:
All remedies shall be developed through consultation with affected communities and shall be guided by principles of proportionality, practicality, constitutional integrity, and long-term sustainability.
Section 5 — Legislative Consideration Requirement
Upon completion of any formal recommendation package issued pursuant to this Article, the Commission shall transmit its findings and proposed legislative framework to Congress.
Within ninety (90) days of receipt, Congress shall:
Amendments shall not:
If Congress fails to bring the proposal to a recorded vote within the prescribed period, any Member of either House shall have standing to seek expedited judicial relief compelling compliance with this Section.
Legislation considered pursuant to this Section shall require a simple majority vote of those present and voting in each House and shall not be subject to supermajority procedural requirements.
Section 6 — Protection of Tribal Sovereignty and Treaty Rights
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to:
All actions undertaken pursuant to this Article affecting federally recognized Indigenous nations shall be conducted consistent with principles of government-to-government consultation and respect for tribal self-determination.
Section 7 — Limitation on Individual Liability
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to:
Remedial measures undertaken pursuant to this Article shall be forward-looking in character and designed to repair structural conditions rather than to assign personal or collective blame.
Section 1 — Democratic Economic Integrity
A constitutional democracy requires that economic power not be permitted to distort, dominate, or override the equal political sovereignty of the People.
The concentration of economic power to a degree that enables control over public institutions, systemic distortion of markets, or material domination of political processes constitutes a structural threat to constitutional governance and individual liberty.
Preventing such domination and preserving broad economic participation are legitimate and necessary objectives of federal and state law.
Section 2 — Abolition of Involuntary Poverty
The United States shall pursue the elimination of involuntary poverty as a constitutional objective essential to human dignity and democratic participation, and shall not permit persistent, systemic deprivation where reasonable legislative remedies are available.
No person shall be subjected to conditions of material deprivation that deny meaningful access to the essential rights guaranteed in Article XIV of this Amendment.
Congress shall enact and maintain policies that utilize the wealth and productive capacity of the Nation to ensure that all persons have genuine opportunity for economic participation, upward mobility, and security against deprivation.
Poverty shall not be permitted to function as a mechanism of coercion, exclusion, or political subordination.
Section 3 — Prevention of Wealth Domination
No individual, family, corporation, conglomerate, trust, or financial entity shall be permitted to accumulate or exercise economic power in a manner that materially undermines democratic governance, suppresses fair competition, or enables control over political outcomes comparable to or exceeding that of public institutions.
Congress shall prevent and remedy excessive concentrations of economic power through taxation, antitrust law, financial regulation, corporate governance standards, and transparency requirements.
In evaluating such concentration, Congress may consider the scale of economic control, cross-sector ownership, market dominance, political spending capacity, and systemic influence over public institutions.
Such measures shall be interpreted in favor of preserving political equality and democratic sovereignty.
Section 4 — Democratic Economic Counterbalances
Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to limit the right of workers to organize, form or join labor unions, form worker-owned cooperatives, engage in collective bargaining, or participate in democratic workplace governance.
The preservation of competitive markets, worker bargaining power, and freedom from exploitative or monopolistic practices is essential to economic democracy.
Congress shall enact, maintain, and enforce laws sufficient to prevent coercive labor conditions, predatory financial practices, monopolistic control, and other forms of economic exploitation.
Section 5 — Enforcement
Congress shall enforce this Article through tax law, antitrust law, labor law, financial regulation, transparency requirements, and other appropriate statutory mechanisms.
Courts shall interpret this Article in a manner that preserves economic democracy, broad opportunity, and the People’s sovereignty over concentrated private power.
Section 1 — Constitutional Protection of Competitive Market Structure
Competitive market structures are essential to economic liberty, innovation, and the prevention of concentrated private power.
A market ceases to be meaningfully competitive when structural conditions permit durable dominance by one or a small number of actors such that entry is foreclosed, choice is materially constrained, or economic coercion becomes possible.
Preserving open entry, fair competition, and resistance to structural market domination are legitimate and necessary objectives of federal and state law.
Section 2 — Prohibition of Structural Market Domination
No person or entity shall accumulate or exercise market power in a manner that substantially suppresses competition, entrenches monopolistic or oligopolistic control, forecloses market entry, or enables material economic coercion over consumers, workers, or smaller enterprises.
Congress shall have authority to define, prevent, and remedy anticompetitive conduct through antitrust law, merger review, corporate regulation, and related statutory mechanisms.
In evaluating market power, Congress may consider market share, network effects, vertical integration, supply chain control, cross-sector consolidation, data dominance, and capacity to influence political or regulatory processes. Structural market dominance may constitute a violation of this Article even in the absence of overtly exclusionary conduct.
Section 3 — Preservation of Market Pluralism and Entry
Congress shall maintain market conditions that preserve open entry, protect entrepreneurial opportunity, and prevent artificial barriers erected or maintained by dominant firms.
Structural barriers to entry that are created or sustained through market power, regulatory capture, exclusionary practices, or collusive arrangements shall be subject to remedy under this Article.
Section 4 — Protection Against Market Exploitation
Where market dominance enables exploitative labor conditions, predatory financial practices, deceptive commercial conduct, unsafe conditions, coercive contractual terms, or rent extraction made possible only by lack of competition, Congress shall enact and enforce corrective measures.
Protections for workers, consumers, and small enterprises shall be interpreted as safeguards against concentrated market power rather than as restraints on legitimate competitive activity.
Section 5 — Democratic Market Governance
Congress shall have affirmative constitutional authority to prevent monopoly power, oligopolistic dominance, and structural distortions that threaten competition, democratic integrity, or economic liberty.
All federal, state, and local laws inconsistent with this Article are preempted to the extent of such inconsistency.
No regulatory body charged with enforcing this Article shall be structured or operated in a manner that permits sustained control or undue influence by entities subject to its jurisdiction.
Section 6 — Financial Stability and Structural Separation
Congress shall enact and maintain legislation to prevent excessive concentration within the financial sector and to reduce systemic risk arising from interconnected or consolidated financial institutions.
The law shall preserve structural safeguards sufficient to prevent the emergence of financial entities whose size, leverage, or interdependence renders them capable of destabilizing the national economy or exercising undue influence over democratic governance.
Congress may establish separation requirements, capital standards, transparency mandates, or other structural measures necessary to prevent financial institutions from becoming so large, complex, or interconnected as to pose a systemic threat.
No financial entity shall be permitted to attain a position in which its failure would reasonably require public rescue in order to preserve economic stability. Congress shall establish objective standards to evaluate systemic risk and shall require periodic review of institutions whose scale or interconnection may pose such risk.
Section 7 — Enforcement and Standard of Interpretation
Congress shall enforce this Article through antitrust law, merger review, corporate restructuring authority, market regulation, and other appropriate statutory mechanisms.
Courts shall interpret this Article in favor of preserving competitive market structures, preventing durable concentration of economic power, and safeguarding democratic integrity.
Regular and orderly rotation in public office is essential to prevent the long-term entrenchment of authority, preserve democratic accountability, and maintain public confidence in representative institutions and the impartial administration of justice. The limits established in this Article are structural safeguards designed to balance institutional continuity with periodic renewal, consistent with the principles of constitutional stability and self-government.
Section 1 — Constitutional Principle of Democratic Rotation
The offices addressed in this Article shall be subject to fixed terms or periodic renewal mechanisms as specified herein. No individual shall hold such office in a manner that permits indefinite tenure.
Section 2 — Senate Term Limits
No individual shall be elected to more than three (3) terms as a United States Senator without meeting the supermajority renewal requirement set forth in Section 5.
For purposes of this Section:
Upon completion of three (3) Senate terms, whether consecutive or non-consecutive, an individual may continue to seek election to the Senate only by satisfying the requirements of Section 5.
Section 3 — House of Representatives Term Limits (Subject to Section 5)
No individual shall be elected to more than ten (10) terms as a Member of the United States House of Representatives without meeting the supermajority renewal requirement set forth in Section 5.
For purposes of this Section:
Upon completion of ten (10) House terms, whether consecutive or non-consecutive, an individual may continue to seek election to the House only by satisfying the requirements of Section 5.
Section 4 — Executive Term Extension (22nd Amendment Integration)
The President and Vice President of the United States shall be eligible to serve no more than two (2) elected presidential terms as provided by the Twenty-Second Amendment.
Notwithstanding the Twenty-Second Amendment, a President who has been elected to two terms may be elected to no more than two (2) additional terms if, in each such election, the President receives more than two-thirds (⅔) of the votes cast nationwide for that office. For purposes of this Section, “votes cast” shall mean all valid ballots counted in the general election for that office.
No individual shall be elected or serve as President for more than four (4) total terms.
For purposes of this Section:
This Section modifies and supersedes the Twenty-Second Amendment to the extent of any inconsistency.
Section 5 — Supreme Court Term Limits
Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States shall serve a term of twenty (20) years.
Upon completion of such term, a Justice may be nominated and confirmed for one additional twenty (20) year term.
No Justice shall serve more than forty (40) total years on the Supreme Court.
Service need not be consecutive; however, all periods of service shall count toward the forty (40) year maximum.
Upon completion of a Supreme Court term not renewed pursuant to this Section, the Justice shall cease service on the Supreme Court.
If the Justice previously held a commission as a judge of an inferior federal court at the time of elevation to the Supreme Court, such commission shall be deemed to remain valid unless voluntarily relinquished.
In all other cases, post-term judicial service shall be governed by law, provided that no individual may exercise the authority of a Justice of the Supreme Court except pursuant to a term authorized under this Section.
Vacancies arising from the expiration of a Supreme Court term under this Article shall be filled in the same manner as any other vacancy on the Supreme Court
Section 6 — Application to Sitting Justices
This Article shall take effect immediately upon ratification.
For purposes of calculating service under Section 5, all years previously served on the Supreme Court shall count toward the twenty (20) and forty (40) year limits established herein.
Any Justice who has served fewer than twenty (20) years at the time of ratification shall continue serving until completion of twenty (20) total years of service, at which point the renewal provisions of Section 2 shall apply.
Any Justice who has served twenty (20) years or more but fewer than forty (40) years at the time of ratification shall be deemed to have completed an initial term and shall continue to serve only until the earlier of:
If nomination and confirmation do not occur within one (1) year of ratification, the Justice shall cease service on the Supreme Court.
Any Justice who has served forty (40) years or more at the time of ratification shall vacate their seat within six (6) months of ratification.
No Justice shall serve beyond the forty (40) year maximum established in Section 2.
Section 7 — Supermajority Renewal Mechanism
An individual who has completed the term limits established in Sections 3 or 4 may be elected to additional terms only if they receive more than two-thirds (⅔) of the votes cast in the general election for that office.
For the Senate, no individual may serve more than three (3) additional terms under this supermajority renewal mechanism.
For the House of Representatives, no individual may serve more than five (5) additional terms under this supermajority renewal mechanism.
The supermajority requirement shall apply independently to each additional term sought.
The term limits applicable to the Senate and the House of Representatives shall operate independently, and service in one chamber shall not affect eligibility in the other.
All terms served pursuant to the supermajority renewal mechanism shall count toward the maximum total service permitted under this Article.
Section 8 — Application to Sitting Members of Congress
This Article shall apply to all Members of Congress serving at the time of ratification.
For purposes of calculating service under Sections 3 and 4, all prior years of service in the Senate or House of Representatives shall count toward the term limits established herein.
Section 1 — Constitutional Principle of Majority Governance
The legislative power of the United States is vested in Congress, whose authority derives from the People.
In a representative democracy, legislation shall ultimately be decided by majority vote except where this Constitution expressly requires a greater threshold.
The rules of either House shall not be construed or applied to permanently obstruct the exercise of legislative authority through indefinite delay or supermajority requirements not expressly provided in this Constitution.
Section 2 — Prohibition of Supermajority Requirements for Ordinary Action
Except where this Constitution expressly provides otherwise, no rule of the Senate or House of Representatives shall require more than a simple majority of Members present and voting to:
No rule shall impose a default supermajority threshold for ordinary legislation, appropriations, or nominations.
Supermajority requirements shall exist only where explicitly mandated by this Constitution.
Section 3 — Structured and Finite Debate
Each House may permit extended debate consistent with deliberative governance; however:
No rule shall permit silent, procedural, or indefinite obstruction of legislative action.
Section 4 — Protection of Deliberative Function
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to:
This Article exists to preserve deliberation while ensuring that the legislative process remains capable of resolution through democratic majority vote.
The continuity of government operations is essential to national stability, economic security, and the protection of individual rights. The ordinary functions of government shall not be disrupted by legislative impasse, political strategy, or failure to enact appropriations. The mechanisms established in this Article ensure uninterrupted public administration while preserving Congress’s constitutional authority over fiscal policy.
Section 1 — Continuity of Government Operations
The United States Government shall not cease operations due to a lapse in appropriations, and continuity shall be preserved through the automatic mechanisms established in this Article.
If Congress does not enact required appropriations by the beginning of a fiscal period, an automatic continuing resolution shall immediately take effect at funding levels equal to those of the prior fiscal year, adjusted for inflation and population-based changes according to objective metrics established by law prior to the fiscal period in question. In the absence of such established metrics, adjustments shall be calculated using the Consumer Price Index and official Census Bureau population estimates.
The automatic continuing resolution shall remain in effect until superseded by duly enacted appropriations.
No federal agency or department shall close, furlough employees, delay compensation, suspend services, or otherwise interrupt operations due solely to legislative inaction.
Section 2 — Protection of Federal Workers and Public Services
During any period governed by an automatic continuing resolution pursuant to Section 1:
All officers and employees of the United States Government shall receive uninterrupted and timely compensation.
All contractors performing authorized work shall be compensated in accordance with existing contractual obligations.
All federal agencies and departments shall continue to carry out their lawful functions and responsibilities without interruption.
All federal benefits, safety-net programs, entitlements, and other statutory obligations shall continue to be administered and paid without delay.
No employee, contractor, or beneficiary shall suffer loss of compensation, benefits, employment status, or legal entitlement as a result of a lapse in appropriations.
Section 3 — Constitutional Duty in the Exercise of the Power of the Purse
The power of appropriations is a fiduciary constitutional responsibility entrusted to Congress for the preservation of national stability and democratic governance. It shall not be exercised in a manner intended to produce government paralysis, economic coercion, or institutional destabilization.
No officer of the United States shall intentionally refuse to perform, obstruct, or condition the enactment of appropriations for the purpose of extracting unrelated policy concessions by creating or threatening fiscal disruption.
The deliberate use of appropriations impasse as a tool of political leverage against the functioning of government constitutes a breach of constitutional duty.
Such breach shall be subject to investigation and sanction pursuant to Section 5 of this Article and other applicable constitutional mechanisms.
Section 4 — Budgetary Responsibility and Legislative Accountability
Nothing in this Article shall diminish Congress’s constitutional authority and responsibility to enact annual appropriations and to determine fiscal policy.
The automatic continuing resolution established in Section 1 shall operate solely as a temporary continuity mechanism and shall not substitute for the regular exercise of the legislative power of the purse.
Congress shall enact appropriations sufficient to meet the operational needs of government and shall not rely indefinitely upon automatic funding in lieu of ordinary legislative action.
A sustained or deliberate refusal to perform the appropriations function in good faith, resulting in prolonged reliance on automatic funding, shall constitute a dereliction of constitutional duty.
Section 5 — Enforcement
Congress shall enact legislation necessary to implement and enforce this Article.
Alleged violations of the constitutional duties established herein shall be subject to investigation pursuant to law and, where appropriate, to disciplinary measures within each House of Congress consistent with Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to limit the authority of either House to determine the rules of its proceedings or to discipline its members.
The Federal Courts shall have jurisdiction to adjudicate claims arising under Sections 1 and 2 of this Article concerning the continuity of government operations, but questions regarding internal legislative discipline shall remain within the constitutional authority of each House.
Section 1 — Commitment to Peace
The preservation of peace is a foundational objective of the Republic. The use of military force is an extraordinary measure that shall be undertaken only when strictly necessary to defend the United States, its constitutional order, or its lawful treaty obligations. Diplomatic resolution, negotiation, and cooperative international engagement shall be pursued in good faith prior to the authorization or initiation of armed conflict, except in circumstances of sudden attack requiring immediate defensive response.
Nothing in this Article diminishes Congress’s exclusive constitutional authority to declare war. Rather, this Article establishes structural safeguards to prevent indefinite, undefined, or unchecked uses of military force inconsistent with democratic accountability.
Section 2 — Duty to Maintain Diplomatic and Civilian Capacity
Congress shall provide for and maintain a robust civilian diplomatic and international engagement capacity sufficient to pursue peaceful resolution of international disputes and to advance the national interest through non-military means.
The institutions of diplomacy, development, humanitarian assistance, and international cooperation shall be structured and funded in a manner that enables sustained global engagement independent of military command or control.
The Executive shall faithfully execute this duty by nominating, appointing, and maintaining qualified leadership and personnel necessary to ensure the continuous and effective functioning of civilian diplomatic institutions.
Civilian diplomatic authority shall not be subordinated to military institutions except in circumstances expressly authorized by law.
In exercising their respective constitutional powers over appropriations and foreign policy, Congress and the Executive shall ensure that non-military instruments of national security remain viable, operational, and capable of meaningful international engagement.
Section 3 — Definition of War and Use of Military Force
For purposes of this Article, “war” and “use of military force” shall include any sustained or substantial deployment of United States Armed Forces, or United States-directed armed capabilities, against a foreign nation, non-state armed organization, or organized hostile entity outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
The term includes:
“Sustained or substantial” shall be interpreted in light of the scale, duration, intensity, geographic scope, and foreseeable consequences of the engagement.
The term does not include routine intelligence gathering, defensive cyber security measures, diplomatic engagement, economic sanctions, humanitarian assistance, or domestic law enforcement operations conducted within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
No armed engagement meeting the criteria set forth in this Section may be undertaken absent authorization consistent with this Article.
Section 4 — Limitations on Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs)
No Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) shall be valid unless it:
An AUMF shall not be construed to authorize hostilities, operations, detention, or military engagement beyond the explicit adversary, geographic scope, and objectives stated in its text.
No authorization may rely upon prior or implied statutory authority, nor may any prior AUMF be interpreted to expand the scope of a subsequent authorization.
Section 5 — Prohibition on Perpetual War
No AUMF may be renewed more than two (2) times.
Each renewal shall:
No military engagement authorized under this Article may continue beyond three (3) total years absent a formal declaration of war pursuant to Article I of the Constitution
Section 6 — Transparency and Congressional Oversight
For the duration of any Authorization for Use of Military Force, the Executive shall provide to Congress full and unredacted reporting at intervals not exceeding seven (7) days concerning all military operations conducted pursuant to such authorization.
Such reporting shall include:
The Executive and Congress shall jointly ensure that the public is informed on a regular basis regarding the existence, legal basis, objectives, and general scope of any military engagement, to the maximum extent consistent with the protection of personnel and ongoing operations.
Information may be classified only where strictly necessary to prevent specific and articulable harm to operational security, and classification shall not be used to conceal the existence, duration, legal foundation, or geographic scope of military engagement.
No use nor aspect of use of military force may remain undisclosed to Congress.
Section 7 — Preservation of Constitutional War Powers
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to alter or diminish Congress’s exclusive constitutional authority to declare war, raise and support armies, provide and maintain a navy, and oversee the armed forces.
An Authorization for Use of Military Force is distinct from a declaration of war and shall not be interpreted as conferring broader or more enduring authority than expressly stated in its text.
No statute, executive action, treaty interpretation, or historical practice may be invoked to expand military authority beyond the limitations established in this Article.
Section 8 — Enforcement and Review
The Federal Courts shall have jurisdiction to adjudicate claims arising under this Article, including challenges to the validity, scope, duration, or renewal of any Authorization for Use of Military Force.
No doctrine of political-question immunity, executive deference, or historical practice shall bar judicial review of compliance with the requirements set forth in this Article.
If a court determines that military force is being exercised in excess of, or without, authorization consistent with this Article, it shall have authority to declare such action unlawful and to issue appropriate injunctive or declaratory relief.
Judicial review under this Section shall be limited to determining compliance with constitutional authorization requirements and shall not extend to the tactical or operational conduct of military engagements lawfully authorized.
Any group comprising not fewer than one-third (1/3) of the Members of either House of Congress shall have standing to bring an action under this Article.
Congress shall enact legislation to facilitate expedited judicial review of claims arising under this Article.
Extraordinary circumstances may require temporary emergency action by government. Emergency powers are inherently susceptible to abuse and shall be exercised only within the strict limits established by this Article to preserve democratic governance, individual liberty, and the separation of powers.
No emergency declaration shall suspend the Constitution, permanently or functionally expand executive authority, alter the structure of government, or circumvent democratic accountability.
Section 1 — Declaration of Emergency
An emergency declaration by the Executive shall be valid only if it:
General, open-ended, or indefinite emergency declarations are prohibited.
Section 2 — Immediate Congressional Engagement
Upon issuance of an emergency declaration consistent with Section 1, Congress shall immediately convene in joint session if not already in session.
Congress shall remain in continuous session, or in regularly reconvened session at intervals not exceeding forty-eight (48) hours, for the duration of any active emergency authority.
The declaration of emergency shall automatically trigger a formal congressional review into:
Nothing in this Section shall prevent the Executive from taking immediate action necessary to prevent, contain, or mitigate the causes and effects of the emergency within the initial forty-eight (48) hour period authorized under Section 1.
Section 3 — Continuous Democratic Authorization
Emergency powers exercised by the Executive shall remain in effect only so long as they are affirmatively authorized by Congress.
Within forty-eight (48) hours of an emergency declaration, Congress, acting in joint session, shall vote to authorize or terminate the continued exercise of emergency powers.
If Congress authorizes continuation, such authorization shall remain valid for no more than forty-eight (48) hours, after which renewed affirmative authorization shall be required.
Failure of Congress to affirmatively authorize continuation within the prescribed interval shall result in the automatic termination of emergency powers.
No emergency authority may persist by default, silence, delay, adjournment, procedural obstruction, or legislative inaction.
Section 4 — Structured Extended Authorization
Congress may, upon affirmative vote in joint session, authorize the continuation of emergency powers for a defined extended period when the emergency condition is of a continuing and objectively demonstrable nature.
Such extended authorization shall:
No emergency authority may continue beyond the expiration date of an extended authorization absent a new affirmative vote of Congress in joint session.
After two (2) consecutive extended authorizations for the same emergency condition, any further extension shall require the affirmative vote of two-thirds (⅔) of the Members present and voting in each House.
At all times, emergency authority remains temporary, exceptional, and subordinate to democratic authorization.
Section 5 — Judicial Continuity Backstop
Upon termination of emergency authority pursuant to Section 4, the Executive may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for a temporary stay of such termination. The burden of proof shall rest solely upon the Executive.
A court may grant a stay only upon a clear and convincing evidentiary showing that immediate cessation of the specific emergency powers at issue would pose a substantial, imminent, and identifiable risk of loss of life that cannot reasonably be mitigated through ordinary constitutional processes.
Any stay granted under this Section shall:
No emergency authority may continue beyond the expiration of such stay absent renewed affirmative authorization by Congress in joint session.
Judicial review under this Section shall be limited to the existence of the imminent risk described herein and shall not extend to the policy merits, wisdom, or broader strategic justification of the emergency measures.
Any Member of Congress, or either House of Congress by resolution, shall have standing to seek expedited judicial review of:
Courts shall provide expedited consideration of such claims and may grant declaratory or injunctive relief where appropriate.
Section 6 — Preservation of Democratic Functions
No emergency declaration or action taken pursuant thereto may:
All constitutional offices and branches of government shall remain operational during any emergency. No emergency authority shall be construed to permit the indefinite extension of any elected term of office.
Section 7 — Protection of Fundamental Rights
Emergency powers shall not be exercised to:
Any emergency measure affecting individual liberty shall be:
No emergency authority shall be construed to permit the suppression of lawful political opposition or the suspension of democratic dissent.
Section 8 — Judicial Review
All emergency declarations and actions taken pursuant thereto shall be subject to immediate and ongoing judicial review.
Courts shall have authority to:
No doctrine of political-question immunity, executive deference, national security exception, or historical practice shall bar judicial review under this Article.
Judicial review under this Section is distinct from, and in addition to, the limited temporary stay authority provided in Section 5.
Courts shall give expedited consideration to claims arising under this Article.
Section 9 — Transparency and Accountability
The Executive shall publicly disclose, on a regular and continuing basis, to the maximum extent consistent with legitimate and specific operational security needs:
No information essential to democratic oversight — including the existence, duration, legal foundation, or general scope of emergency authority — may be withheld or classified.
All emergency actions shall be formally documented and preserved in a public record.
Upon termination of the emergency, a comprehensive public report shall be issued detailing:
Congress shall provide for independent post-emergency review and public reporting to ensure accountability
Section 10 — Termination
Section 11 — Rule of Construction
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to:
This Article shall be interpreted to preserve the government’s capacity to protect life and public safety while ensuring that all emergency authority remains temporary, proportionate, reviewable, and subordinate to democratic consent.
Section 12 — Enforcement
Congress shall enact legislation necessary to implement and enforce this Article, including procedures for expedited judicial review, evidentiary access, and remedies sufficient to deter violations.
Any individual, or Member of Congress, harmed or materially affected by actions taken in violation of this Article shall have standing to seek declaratory, injunctive, or other appropriate relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Courts shall construe standing liberally for purposes of this Article to ensure meaningful review of emergency authority.
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to limit impeachment, removal, or other constitutional remedies available for violations of this Article.
Section 1 — Authority of States to Propose Constitutional Amendments
In addition to the amendment procedures established in Article V of the Constitution of the United States, the States may initiate and advance proposed constitutional amendments pursuant to the process defined in this Article.
A State-Initiated Amendment shall commence when identical amendment text is duly enacted, without material variation, by the legislatures of multiple States in accordance with their respective constitutional procedures.
For purposes of this Article, “identical amendment text” shall mean substantially identical language such that no material difference in legal meaning, scope, or effect exists among the adopting States.
No amendment proposal under this Article shall take effect except in accordance with the full procedures set forth herein.
Section 2 — Population Threshold for Proposal
A proposed State-Initiated Amendment shall advance to a national referendum once the aggregate population of all States enacting identical amendment text equals or exceeds two-thirds (⅔) of the total population of the United States.
Population shall be determined according to the most recent decennial census conducted by the United States Census Bureau and in effect at the time the population threshold is certified.
States shall be counted toward the aggregate population total based on their population as reported in the same decennial census.
Congress shall establish uniform procedures for verifying population totals and certifying satisfaction of the threshold, provided that such procedures shall be ministerial in nature and shall not permit substantive review of the amendment text.
Section 3 — Requirements of Clarity and Single Subject
Any proposed State-Initiated Amendment shall:
No proposed amendment under this Article shall combine unrelated subjects for the purpose of compelling approval of one provision through attachment to another.
A subject shall be deemed closely related only where the provisions are logically interdependent or necessary to effectuate a unified constitutional objective.
Compliance with this Section shall be reviewed solely for facial textual coherence and single-subject integrity. Neither Congress nor the courts may invalidate a proposed amendment under this Section based on policy disagreement, perceived breadth, or disagreement with its substantive content.
Section 4 — National Referendum for Ratification
Upon certification that the population threshold established in Section 2 has been satisfied, the proposed State-Initiated Amendment shall be placed on the ballot of the next nationwide general election, whether Presidential or midterm, occurring not less than ninety (90) days after such certification.
The referendum shall present a single, uniform national question in the following form:
“Shall the proposed constitutional amendment be adopted?”
with the options “Yes” or “No.”
Each referendum ballot shall include:
Plain-language summaries shall not advocate for or against adoption and shall be subject to objective standards of neutrality established by law.
The full text and explanatory materials shall be made publicly available in advance of the election through official publication by the federal government.
Ballots, explanatory materials, and official publications shall be made available in multiple languages and accessible formats to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with ensuring meaningful access for all eligible voters.
Federal and State governments shall jointly administer the referendum under uniform national standards established by Congress pursuant to this Article. Such standards shall be ministerial and procedural in nature and shall not permit alteration of the amendment text, the question presented, or the timing required by this Section.
Failure of Congress to enact implementing legislation shall not delay or prevent placement of the referendum on the ballot once the population threshold is satisfied.
Section 5 — National Popular Approval Requirement
A State-Initiated Amendment shall be ratified only if both of the following conditions are satisfied:
For purposes of this Section, “valid votes cast” shall mean all lawfully counted ballots for the referendum question, including in-person, absentee, military, and overseas ballots, and shall not include abstentions or blank ballots.
Certification of referendum results shall be conducted pursuant to uniform national standards established by Congress, which shall be ministerial in nature and shall not alter the thresholds set forth in this Section.
Failure of any State to certify results in good faith shall not invalidate the nationwide result where sufficient certified returns establish satisfaction of the requirements of this Section.
Section 6 — Final Ratification by States
Upon approval pursuant to Section 5, the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the several States for ratification.
The amendment shall become part of this Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths (¾) of the several States, consistent with Article V of the Constitution of the United States.
A State that enacted identical amendment text pursuant to Section 1 shall be deemed to have satisfied its ratification vote under this Section, provided that such enactment remains in effect at the time national approval is certified.
A State may not withdraw its ratification following certification of national approval under Section 5.
Congress shall establish uniform procedures and timelines for final ratification under this Section, provided that such procedures shall be ministerial and shall not alter the thresholds set forth herein.
Section 7 — Congressional Non-Interference
Congress shall have no authority to block, delay, alter, revise, or nullify a State-Initiated Amendment that has satisfied the procedural requirements of this Article.
Congress’s role under this Article shall be ministerial and administrative only, and shall include:
Congress shall not modify the text of a proposed State-Initiated Amendment, alter the required thresholds, or impose additional substantive requirements beyond those expressly set forth in this Article.
Final ratification under this Section shall occur within a period not exceeding seven (7) years from national approval, unless extended by Congress for good cause.
Failure of Congress to act shall not prevent or delay advancement of the amendment process where the constitutional requirements of this Article have otherwise been satisfied.
Section 8 — Judicial Review
Federal courts shall not enjoin, delay, or invalidate the national referendum process established by this Article except upon a clear showing of:
Any judicial relief granted under this Section shall be narrowly tailored to remedy the identified defect and shall not invalidate the referendum absent a showing that the defect materially affected the result.
Upon final ratification pursuant to Section 6, a State-Initiated Amendment shall not be subject to judicial invalidation on substantive policy grounds. Courts may review only whether the procedural requirements of this Article were satisfied.
Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prevent judicial enforcement of the thresholds, certification standards, or procedural safeguards expressly established in this Article.
Section 9 — Implementation
Congress shall enact legislation necessary to implement this Article, including:
All legislation enacted pursuant to this Section shall be ministerial and procedural in nature and shall not impose additional substantive requirements, alter constitutional thresholds, delay advancement of a proposal, or modify the text of a proposed amendment.
Failure of Congress to enact implementing legislation shall not invalidate or delay the amendment process where the requirements of this Article have otherwise been satisfied.
Section 1 — Constitutional Imperative
A resilient and legitimate Republic cannot indefinitely exercise sovereignty over populations that lack full and equal voting representation in both Houses of Congress and participation in the election of the President and Vice President.
The continued governance of such jurisdictions without a defined and democratic resolution of political status undermines consent of the governed, weakens national cohesion, and conflicts with the foundational principles of this Constitution.
Accordingly, this Article establishes a final, orderly, and binding democratic mechanism to resolve the political status of all jurisdictions subject to United States sovereignty whose residents do not possess full federal political equality.
Section 2 — Covered Jurisdictions
This Article applies to all territories, districts, possessions, and other areas subject to the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the United States whose residents do not possess full and equal voting representation in both Houses of Congress and participation in the election of the President and Vice President.
Covered jurisdictions include, but are not limited to:
No change in nomenclature, administrative classification, or statutory designation shall remove a jurisdiction from coverage under this Article.
Section 3 — Guaranteed Choice of Political Status
Upon ratification of this Amendment, each covered jurisdiction shall be guaranteed the opportunity to determine its political status through a free, fair, and binding democratic vote conducted under uniform standards of neutrality and transparency.
For United States territories, the ballot shall include the following options:
For the District of Columbia, the ballot shall include only the following options:
Each option shall be presented in neutral language and with equal prominence.
No option shall be privileged, weighted, delayed, conditioned, or excluded by Congress or any federal authority.
The ballot shall be structured to ensure that the final outcome reflects the majority-supported preference of the voters of the jurisdiction, consistent with Section 4 of this Article.
Section 4 — Method and Timing of Decision
The political-status determination for each covered jurisdiction shall be conducted by Ranked Choice Voting to ensure a majority-supported outcome.
Such election shall occur during the first nationwide general election following ratification of this Amendment, provided that such election date occurs not fewer than one hundred eighty (180) days after ratification to allow for orderly preparation.
A covered jurisdiction may, through its legislature or by referendum under its own laws, request that the vote occur at a later general election date. Such request shall be honored and shall not be subject to federal veto.
The election shall be administered by the appropriate local election authorities of the jurisdiction, in coordination with federal authorities solely for purposes of ensuring uniform ballot standards, voter access, and certification integrity.
Congress shall provide necessary funding and administrative support to ensure that the election is conducted fairly, transparently, and without undue delay.
Failure of Congress to enact implementing legislation shall not delay or prevent the holding of the election at the time required by this Section.
The results of the election shall be certified according to uniform standards established by law and shall be transmitted to Congress for implementation pursuant to Section 6 of this Article.
Section 5 — Constitutional Consent for Admission as a State
With respect to any covered jurisdiction that selects admission as a State pursuant to this Article, the ratification of this Amendment by the People of the United States shall constitute full constitutional consent for purposes of Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution.
No further act of admission, enabling act, congressional approval, or state consent shall be required to effectuate statehood once the jurisdiction has selected admission by majority vote pursuant to Section 4.
Upon certification of such vote:
Congress shall not condition, delay, alter, or deny admission based upon political considerations, policy preferences, or subsequent legislative action.
Statehood pursuant to this Article shall be automatic and binding upon certification of the vote.
This Section supersedes any inconsistent provision of Article IV, Section 3 of this Constitution to the extent necessary to give full effect to the certified will of the jurisdiction selecting statehood pursuant to this Article.
Section 6 — Binding Effect and Implementation
The result of each political-status election conducted pursuant to this Article shall be binding upon the United States and the covered jurisdiction.
Upon certification of the election result:
If the selected outcome is admission as a State, Congress shall provide for:
If the selected outcome is independence:
All negotiations and implementing legislation relating to independence shall be conducted in good faith and shall not impose conditions designed to coerce reversal of the jurisdiction’s chosen status.
Failure of Congress to enact implementing legislation within the time prescribed shall not invalidate the result. A court of competent jurisdiction shall have authority to compel implementation consistent with the certified outcome.
Congress shall not delay, disregard, reinterpret, or condition the expressed will of the People as determined under this Article.
Legislation enacted pursuant to this Section shall be passed by a simple majority of those present and voting in each House of Congress and shall not be subject to supermajority procedural requirements.
Such legislation shall not be subject to the presidential veto and shall take effect upon passage by both Houses.
If Congress fails to enact implementing legislation within one hundred eighty (180) days following certification of the jurisdiction’s chosen status, the provisions necessary to give effect to the certified outcome shall be deemed self-executing to the extent practicable, and the federal courts shall have authority to issue appropriate orders to ensure implementation consistent with this Article. In the case of statehood, admission shall be deemed effective upon expiration of the one-year period specified in Section 5, notwithstanding congressional inaction.
If a covered jurisdiction selects continuation of territorial status, such selection shall not permanently foreclose future political-status determinations. A subsequent political-status vote may be conducted pursuant to this Article not sooner than eight (8) years following certification of the prior vote, upon request of the jurisdiction through its legislature or by referendum under its own laws.
Section 7 — Rule of Construction
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to:
This Article exists solely to provide a final, orderly, and democratic mechanism for resolving the political status of covered jurisdictions and to ensure that sovereignty exercised by the United States rests upon the consent of the governed.
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