CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Constitutional amendments are introduced as bills in Congress. Such bills are always designated as H.J. RES. (House Joint Resolutions) or S.J.RES (Senate Joint Resolutions). Full-text bills are available online since 1989 via LexisNexis Congressional or Thomas. Thomas also has summary information since 1973. We do not generally have texts of bills before 1989. The Library of Congress web site, A Century of Lawmaking, has selected bills for the 1800's. Occasionally the text of an older bill will be reproduced in the Congressional Record (or its predecessors) or in a report or hearing on the bill, if there was one.
PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
THOMAS, 1973-
Search Thomas web site at thomas.loc.gov
In the Legislation column select "Search Bills and Resolutions"
Under Advanced Searches and Lists try either Full Text of Bills... (1989-) or Summary and Status Information... (1973-)
For a Summary and Status Information Search, 1973-
Select Congress number to search at the top of the screen.
Select a date range if desired in the Date of Introduction box near end of page.
In the Standard Subject Term box enter: constitutional amendments. NOTE: an additional topic can be added in the Word/Phrase box for a specific topic -- there is no guarantee that there will be a constitutional amendment on a given topic
Click on search box.
For a Full Text of Bills Search, 1989-
Select Congress number to search at the top of the screen.
Enter Word/Phrase such as: proposed constitution amendment
Choose Word variants in the box underneath
Specify a session or date range
Increase the number in the "Specify number of bills to be retrieved" box at the bottom of the page. Try 200.
Click on one of the search boxes
Scroll thru results looking for H.J.RES. or S.J.RES. bills for proposals to amend the constitution
Click on bill number to get additional information.
LEXISNEXIS CONGRESSIONAL, 1989-
Search LexisNexis Congressional
Select Bills, then Bills again.
In search box enter: constitution and amendment and (h.j.res or s.j.res)
Select congress number in congress box
Scroll thru results looking for H.J.RES. or S.J.RES. bills for proposals to amend the constitution
Results are arranged by date so it is possible to narrow in on a particular date range.
BEFORE 1973 -
The Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of the United States During the First Century of Its History. Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1896, vol. II. GOV RESERVE SI 4.1:896/v.2
HOW TO USE: Analysis of amendments by subject area for 1789-1889. Appendix lists each amendment with brief information on legislative action and citations to congressional debate, if any, in the Congressional Record and its predecessors (SuDoc.: X). Commonly used abbreviations include "Annals" (Annals of Congress, X), "Globe" (Congressional Globe, X)," S.J." for Senate Journal," H.J." for House Journal. The debate references (Annals, Globe, etc) will provide the most information. Journals are bare-bones listings of congressional actions. Journals are in the SW Depository. Search the library catalog for the titles Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States or Journal of the Senate of the United States of America and choose "request item." Or search by government call number: XJH or XJS. Volumes are listed by Congress number and session.
Congressional debates, journals, and some older bills are also available online from 1789-1873. See the Library of Congress web site, A Century of Lawmaking, http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html
Updates have been published periodically. The ones we have are:
Proposed Amendments ... Dec. 4, 1889 to July 2, 1926. Serial Set 8546 (SW Dep)
Proposed Amendments ... Dec. 1926-Jan. 1963. Serial Set 12445 (SW Dep)
Proposed Amendments ... Jan. 1963-Jan. 1969. Serial Set 12840 (SW Dep)
Proposed Amendments ... 1985-1990. Gov Microfilm. Major Studies and Issue Briefs of the Congressional Research Service, 1992 supp. reel 11, frame 0976.
These updates may not give references to the congressional debate. They can be used to identify a proposed amendment. If more information is needed, go to the Congressional Record or its predecessors and find the index covering the specified year. The index contains a bill listing (usually in the back). Find the House or Senate Joint Resolutions section, locate the resolution number, and follow the page number references. If there has been a report, that will be mentioned. The report can be located in the Serial Set by using the CIS Serial Set Index (Gov Ref Z 1223 .Z9 C65 1975) or the online version in LexisNexis Congressional. (MiamiLINK, Research by Subject, Government). Select "Historical Indexes." Then choose a bill number search or document number search. The full-text of some Serial Set volumes is also available (eventually through 1969) -- choose "Historical Full Text" for this. We do not own all Serial Set volumes and those that we do own through 1969 are in the Southwest Depository. Gov staff can request for "Library Use Only."
A Century of Lawmaking For New Nation U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates 1774-1875.
Full-text of Annals, Register of Debates, Congressional Globe, Congressional Record, House Journals, and Senate Journals during this time period as well as other related material including Statutes at Large (laws) and some bills, including Senate Joint Resolutions, but not, at present, House Joint Resolutions..
"Finding Aids for Research on Proposed Amendments to the U.S. Constitution." Jan Oberla. Documents to the People, v. 23, no. 4 (Dec. 1995), pp. 282-283.
Supreme Court Decisions on Constitutional Amendments
Choose "Federal Case Law." Enter "[no.] amendment" in the keyword box (example: thirteenth amendment). Leave the court box set to Supreme Court Cases. Select the desired time period. Click on search.
West's Encyclopedia of American Law. GOV REF KF 154 .W47 1998 v.
Brief articles on each constitutional amendment with mention of key Supreme Court cases. Look under the amendment number, such as "Thirteenth Amendment."
The Constitution of the United States of America Analysis and Interpretation. GOV REF Serial Set 14152
Analysis of Supreme Court decisions on the constitutional amendments that have been ratified. See pocket supplement inside back cover for latest information.
Other Resources:
Miami University Libraries Catalog
Search the subject "Constitutional Amendments - United States" or "United States.Constitution. [no] Amendment" (example: united states constitution 13th amendment) and keyword search with the search statement: "[no.] amendment or [no. as word] amendment" (example: 14th amendment or fourteenth amendment)
Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-2002. KING REF KF4557 .V555 2003
Amendments to the Constitution: A Brief Legislative History. GOV RESERVE Y 4.J 89/2:S.prt.99-87
Primarily gives information on legislative action for the constitutional amendments that have passed. Appendix D gives the text of a small number of constitutional amendments that passed Congress, but were not ratified by the states.
