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S.J.Res. 21 (114th): A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.

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About the resolution

Burning the American flag has always been one of the most shocking and controversial means of protest, from hippies in the 1960s to today, with ananti-Trump flag-burning demonstration outside the Republican National Convention last month. Is the action an acceptable form of free speech, or should it be illegal?

Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR3) and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) think it should be illegal. They have sponsored H.J.Res. 9 in the House and S.J.Res. 21 in the Senate, which would propose a constitutional amendment banning the practice.

What supporters say

Supporters argue that the Stars and Stripes is one of our country’s most cherished symbols and should be immune from desecration.

“Throughout our nation’s history, Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice for the values espoused in our flag, and as …

Sponsor and status

Photo of sponsor David Vitter

David Vitter

Sponsor. Senator for Louisiana. Republican.

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Last Updated: Jul 30, 2015
Length: 2 pages
Introduced
Jul 30, 2015
114th Congress (2015–2017)
Status
Died in a previous Congress

This resolution was introduced on July 30, 2015, in a previous session of Congress, but it did not receive a vote.

Cosponsors

9 Cosponsors (9 Republicans)

Source
Congress.gov

History

May 6, 2009
 
Earlier Version — Introduced

This activity took place on a related bill, S.J.Res. 15 (111th).
Jul 30, 2015
 
Introduced

Bills and resolutions are referred to committees which debate the bill before possibly sending it on to the whole chamber.

Read Text »

S.J.Res. 21 (114th) was a joint resolution in the United States Congress.

A joint resolution is often used in the same manner as a bill. If passed by both the House and Senate in identical form and signed by the President, it becomes a law. Joint resolutions are also used to propose amendments to the Constitution.

Resolutions numbers restart every two years. That means there are other resolutions with the number S.J.Res. 21. This is the one from the 114th Congress.

This joint resolution was introduced in the 114th Congress, which met from Jan 6, 2015 to Jan 3, 2017. Legislation not passed by the end of a Congress is cleared from the books.

How to cite this information.

We recommend the following MLA-formatted citation when using the information you see here in academic work:

“S.J.Res. 21 — 114th Congress: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the ….” www.GovTrack.us. 2015. February 4, 2023 <https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/sjres21>

Where is this information from?

GovTrack automatically collects legislative information from a variety of governmental and non-governmental sources. This page is sourced primarily from Congress.gov, the official portal of the United States Congress. Congress.gov is generally updated one day after events occur, and so legislative activity shown here may be one day behind. Data via the congress project.