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S 109 114th Congress Senate

Enumerated Powers Act

Official title: A bill to prohibit the consideration of any bill by Congress unless the authority provided by the Constitution of the United States for the legislation can be determined and is clearly specified.

Introduced: January 7, 2015 See on congress.gov
Congress Constitution and constitutional amendmentsLegislative rules and procedure
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This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 7, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Jan 7, 2015
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action January 7, 2015

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Enumerated Powers Act

Requires each Act of Congress, bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment to contain a concise explanation of the specific constitutional authority relied upon as the basis for enacting each portion of the measure.

Permits a statement of constitutionality, to the extent that a measure limits or abolishes any federal activity, spending, or power overall, to cite the 9th or the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Declares that invoking one or more specified parts of the following clauses in a statement of constitutionality is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Act: (1) the enumerated spending clause; (2) the necessary and proper clause; or (3) the commerce clause for any purpose other than the regulation of the buying and selling of goods or services, or their transportation, across boundaries with foreign nations, across state lines, or with the Indian tribes.

Declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either chamber.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 109: Enumerated Powers Act. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-109/
MLA
"S. 109: Enumerated Powers Act." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-109/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 109, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-109/.
Markdown link
[S. 109: Enumerated Powers Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-109/)
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