Article V Convention to Propose Constitutional Amendments: Contemporary Issues for Congress [March 7, 2014]   [open pdf - 489KB]

"Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides two methods of proposing amendments. First, Congress, with the approval of two-thirds of both houses, may propose amendments to the states for ratification, a procedure used for all 27 current amendments. Second, if the legislatures of two-thirds of the states apply, 34 at present, Congress 'shall' call a convention for considering and proposing amendments. This alternative, known as an Article V Convention, has yet to be implemented. This report examines the Article V Convention, focusing on contemporary issues for Congress. CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R42592, 'The Article V Convention for Proposing Constitutional Amendments: Historical Perspectives for Congress', examines the procedure's constitutional origins and history and provides an analysis of related state procedures."