MS HC14

Mississippi Legislature applies to Congress under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to call a convention of states limited to proposing a balanced budget amendment for the federal government.

Proposed amendment would require total federal outlays not exceed total estimated federal revenues for any fiscal year, except during national emergencies, with related fiscal restraints.

Application counts toward the two-thirds of states needed to trigger a convention and aggregates with existing balanced budget applications from other states, but not with applications on other subjects.

Convention powers are limited: Congress may only call the convention and set time/place; states exclusively name delegates; states vote one per state; convention may only consider balanced budget amendments and cannot consider changes to the Bill of Rights.

Mississippi Legislature may provide further instructions to its delegates and recall them for breach of duty; application continues until two-thirds of states apply on same subject and supersedes all previous applications by Mississippi on this subject.