Concerning persons appointed to a convention called by the United States Congress to propose amendments to the United States Constitution, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to persons selected by the general assembly to represent the state at a convention called by the United States Congress to propose amendments to the United States Constitution. The bill defines an Article V convention as a convention called by the United States Congress as provided by Article V of the United States Constitution upon application of the legislatures of at least two-thirds of the states to propose amendments to the United States Constitution. “Commissioner” is defined to mean a person selected to represent the state at an Article V convention. The bill also defines an unauthorized amendment as a proposed amendment at an Article V convention that is outside the subject matter of the state’s joint resolution calling for the convention or is in contravention of any instructions provided to commissioners by the state. Finally, the bill defines an unauthorized rule as a proposed rule for governing the Article V convention that is in conflict with a rule that each state be granted one vote and that a majority vote is required to propose an amendment to the United States Constitution. The bill provides that a commissioner shall not propose or vote to approve an unauthorized amendment or an unauthorized rule at an Article V convention. The bill also requires a commissioner to take an oath recognizing these prohibitions. The bill provides that a commissioner violating the provisions of the bill shall be subject to removal and replacement as a commissioner by the state and shall be guilty of a simple misdemeanor. A simple misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than days and a fine of at least $105 but not more than $855. The bill takes effect upon enactment.