S.J.Res. 35: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to a balanced budget.

111th Congress · introduced 2010-07-21 · Economics and Public Finance · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-07-21 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

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

Plain summary

Constitutional Amendment - Requires Congress to adopt for each fiscal year a budget that sets forth the total receipts and outlays of the United States. Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber to adopt a budget in which total outlays exceed total receipts. Prohibits Congress from passing and the President from signing any bill which would cause the total outlays for any year to exceed the total expenditures in the budget for such year. Bars receipts in any year from being retained for use of the Treasury in an amount which exceeds as a proportion of the national income, that retained for the prior year, unless a bill directed solely at approving a specific increase in such proportion has been passed by a majority of each chamber and has become law. Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect. Requires a two-thirds rollcall vote of each chamber to adopt an increase in federal taxes. States that if in any fiscal year the percentage of growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is negative, discretionary spending, excluding spending for defense and homeland security, in the next fiscal year shall not exceed the level of such spending for the preceding fiscal year reduced by that GDP percentage of negative growth.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

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

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Constitutional amendment: A change to a constitution. In Texas the Legislature proposes an amendment with a joint resolution passed by two-thirds of the members of each chamber. It takes effect only if a majority of the people voting on it approve it. In Florida, an amendment needs at least 60% of the votes cast on it to pass.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Joint resolution: In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111sjres35.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/sjres>

Record fed-us-cong111-sjres35 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111