PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38] · R–TX
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Feb 2, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
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Analyze H.J.Res.146 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.J.Res.146 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.J.Res.146 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.J.Res.146 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.
PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-01-30 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring U.S. Representatives and Senators to demonstrate competence in understanding the constitutional system of government. People elected or appointed without first qualifying would have a chance to qualify afterward. The amendment would become part of the Constitution only after ratification by legislatures or conventions in three-fourths of the states.
That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures or conventions of three-fourths of the several States:
No person shall be a Representative or Senator who shall not have demonstrated competence on the system of government under the Constitution of the United States under the examination in effect at the time of the election or appointment, but each House of Congress shall afford any person elected or appointed to be a Member of the House, without having demonstrated competence before the election or appointment, the opportunity to demonstrate such competence, whether under the same examination or by another means approved for such purpose by law.
The resolution proposes a constitutional amendment, rather than an ordinary statute. Its stated condition for taking effect is ratification by the legislatures or conventions of three-fourths of the states; the supplied text sets no ratification deadline.
That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures or conventions of three-fourths of the several States:
Congress would have to establish an examination for each ten-year census period used to allocate House seats. The examination would assess understanding of the constitutional system of government against a standard expected of a U.S. citizen.
The Congress shall establish, for each term of ten years for which a census or enumeration is conducted for the apportionment of the Representatives in the Congress, an examination for the demonstration of competence, to a standard expected for a citizen of the United States, on the system of government under the Constitution of the United States
Each chamber would have to publish the examination questions and answers in its official record of proceedings. Each would also select officers to administer the examination jointly and regularly.
each House of the Congress shall publish the questions and answers for the examination in the Journal of its proceedings and choose such Officers who shall from time to time jointly and regularly administer the examination
The examination would be free to everyone who takes it. People who demonstrate competence would receive certificates needed to prove that they qualified.
which shall be without any cost to any person who takes the examination, and provide to any such person who demonstrates competence under the examination such certificates necessary to prove such demonstration.
Representatives and Senators would have to demonstrate competence under the examination in effect at their election or appointment. Each chamber would have to give people elected or appointed without first qualifying an opportunity to qualify afterward, either through that examination or another method approved by law.
No person shall be a Representative or Senator who shall not have demonstrated competence on the system of government under the Constitution of the United States under the examination in effect at the time of the election or appointment, but each House of Congress shall afford any person elected or appointed to be a Member of the House, without having demonstrated competence before the election or appointment, the opportunity to demonstrate such competence, whether under the same examination or by another means approved for such purpose by law.
Congress would have authority to enforce the amendment through appropriate legislation. The proposal expressly says that such legislation would not need presidential approval before taking effect.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation, and such legislation shall not require the approval of the President before taking effect.
The official-actions snapshot updated February 2, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on the Judiciary on January 30, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-02-02T14:41:54Z. 2026-01-30: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 2026-01-30: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-01-30. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials; earmark disclosures and committee or conference materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The complete supplied introduced text contains a narrow institutional exemption warranting scrutiny under this category. Classification does not establish improper purpose.
Congress would receive a specific exemption allowing legislation enforcing this amendment to take effect without presidential approval. The treatment is limited to legislation enforcing the proposed constitutional competence requirements and is directly related to the resolution's main policy.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation, and such legislation shall not require the approval of the President before taking effect.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Feb 2, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI