American Federalism Rejuvenation and Renaissance Resolution of 1980
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.
American Federalism Rejuvenation and Renaissance Resolution of 1980 - Directs the President, after consulting with Congress, to call a Convocation on American Federalism by January 1, 1981, in order to bring together elected officials of Federal, State, and local governments to stimulate a national assessment of the Federal system of government. Enumerates the duties of the Convocation which include: (1) defining which governmental functions are inherently national in nature and which functions are inherently State or local in nature; (2) examining the allocation of such functions; (3) identifying any necessary changes in the current functional or programmatic roles of each level of government; (4) defining the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce and the use of such power to preempt State and local regulatory authority; (5) defining the limits on the power of Congress to attach conditions to the distribution of Federal financial assistance; and (6) developing strategies to simplify the Federal grant system and to ensure that the system is utilized only where direct provision of the services by the Government would not be effective. Requires the Convocation to adjourn by January 1, 1982, and to publish a final report by May 1, 1982. Permits Convocation delegates to conduct State and regional conferences to prepare for the Convocation. Authorizes the Chairman of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to provide financial assistance for such conferences. Directs the Chairman to plan and administer the Convocation until the delegates elect a Convocation Chairman.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on September 22, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this joint resolution could become law.
The record's latest action, on September 22, 1980: Referred to Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
What is a joint resolution, exactly?
A joint resolution travels the same road as a bill: both chambers pass it and the President signs it, and it then has the same force as any other law. The label is largely a matter of custom, often used for narrow or time-limited measures.
One exception matters. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution is not sent to the President at all. It goes to the states, and three quarters of them have to ratify it.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
WILLIAM ROTH (R-DE) introduced it on September 22, 1980, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on September 22, 1980, 16789 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16789 days ago, on September 22, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers