Bill > HJRes118

This Joint Resolution proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to address how vacancies in the House of Representatives are temporarily filled, aiming to ensure the continuity of Congress. If ratified by the states, the amendment would require newly elected Representatives to provide a list of at least five qualified designees who could serve in their place if the Representative dies before their term ends. In the event of a Representative's death, the state's chief executive would select a replacement from that list, and the Speaker of the House would immediately seat that individual. This temporary Representative would serve until a special election is held to fill the vacancy permanently, and importantly, any individual serving under this temporary provision would be treated as a full Representative for all legal and procedural purposes, including the ability to provide their own list of designees if they were to die while serving temporarily.