SJRES 1 105th Congress Senate Economics and Public Finance Balanced budgets Budget deficits Congress Congressional voting Constitutional amendments Debt limit Federal budgets Government Operations and Politics Income tax Law Legislation Record votes Tax rates Taxation

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require a balanced budget.

Introduced: January 21, 1997 See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 23 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Mar 4, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1847-1922)

Mar 4, 1997

Failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 66-34. Record Vote No: 24.

Mar 4, 1997

Failed of passage/not agreed to in Senate: Failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 66-34. Record Vote No: 24.

Feb 27, 1997

Motion by Senator Bumpers to refer to Senate Committee on Budget tabled in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 65-34. Record Vote No: 23.

Feb 27, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1689-1726)

Feb 26, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1593-1650)

Feb 26, 1997

Motion by Senator Bumpers to refer to Senate Committee on Budget with instructions to report back forthwith an amendment made in Senate.

Feb 25, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1495-1518, S1525-1547)

Feb 24, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1448-1468)

Feb 12, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1255-1265, S1268-1296)

Feb 11, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1203-1212, S1219-1223)

Feb 10, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1152-1187)

Feb 7, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1119-1124, S1126-1130, S1140-1143)

Feb 6, 1997

Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1057-1072, S1079-1099)

Feb 5, 1997

Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S994-1015)

Feb 3, 1997

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. 12.

Feb 3, 1997

Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Hatch under the authority of the order of Jan 30, 97 without amendment. With written report No. 105-3. Additional and minority views filed.

Jan 30, 1997

Committee on Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Jan 22, 1997

Committee on Judiciary. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 105-115.

Jan 22, 1997

Star Print ordered on S.J.Res. 1.

Jan 21, 1997

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Jan 21, 1997

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S552-553)

Jan 21, 1997

Introduced in Senate

Amendments to this bill 16

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

12 agreed to 1 failed 3 pending / other

Amendment	Sponsor	Purpose	Status	Latest action
SAMDT 18	—	To protect the Medicare Health Insurance Trust Fund.	Withdrawn	Feb 27, 1997
SAMDT 14	—	To permit the use of an accumulated surplus to balance the budget during any fiscal year.	Agreed to	Feb 27, 1997
SAMDT 13	—	To require approval of the amendment in 3 years.	Agreed to	Feb 27, 1997
SAMDT 12	—	In the nature of a substitute.	Fell	Feb 27, 1997
SAMDT 10	—	To provide that only Congress shall have authority to enforce the provisions of the balanced budget constitut…	Agreed to	Feb 27, 1997
SAMDT 9	—	To add a provision proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to contributions …	Withdrawn	Feb 27, 1997
SAMDT 7	—	To strike the limitation on debt held by the public.	Agreed to	Feb 27, 1997
SAMDT 17	—	To propose a substitute amendment.	Agreed to	Feb 26, 1997
SAMDT 16	—	To provide Federal assistance to supplement State and local efforts to alleviate the damage, loss, hardship a…	Agreed to	Feb 26, 1997
SAMDT 15	—	To permit limited waiver during economic emergencies and allow a capital budget.	Failed	Feb 26, 1997
SAMDT 11	—	In the nature of a substitute.	Agreed to	Feb 26, 1997
SAMDT 8	—	To require that the outlay and receipt totals of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and the Federal …	Agreed to	Feb 25, 1997
SAMDT 6	—	To strike the reliance on estimates and receipts.	Agreed to	Feb 24, 1997
SAMDT 4	—	To simplify the conditions for a declaration of an imminent and serious threat to national security.	Agreed to	Feb 12, 1997
SAMDT 3	—	To state the policy of the United States that, in achieving a balanced budget, Federal outlays should not be …	Agreed to	Feb 11, 1997
SAMDT 2	Durbin, Richard J.	To allow waiver of the article in the event of an economic recession or serious economic emergency.	Agreed to	Feb 10, 1997

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Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts (except those derived from borrowing) for that fiscal year unless the Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each House, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.

Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each House to increase the public debt.

Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to the Congress.

Requires the approval of a majority of each House by roll call vote before any bill to increase revenue may become law.

Authorizes the Congress to waive these provisions when: (1) a declaration of war is in effect; or (2) the United States is engaged in a military conflict which poses a threat to national security as declared by a joint resolution adopted by a majority of each House.

Makes this article effective beginning with FY 2002 or with the second fiscal year beginning after its ratification, whichever is later.

What's happening now March 4, 1997

Failed of passage in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 66-34. Record Vote No: 24.

Related & companion bills 1

Bill text 2 versions

Introduced in Senate Formatted Text PDF
Reported to Senate Formatted Text PDF

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 1

Judiciary Committee
Senate

Cosponsors 3

Kentucky · Jan 21, 1997

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APA

U.S. Congress. (2026). S.J. Res. 1: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require a balanced budget.. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-SJRES-1/

MLA

"S.J. Res. 1: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require a balanced budget.." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-SJRES-1/.

Bluebook (legal)

S.J. Res. 1, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-SJRES-1/.

Markdown link

[S.J. Res. 1: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require a balanced budget.](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-SJRES-1/)