Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Enumerated Powers Act”.
Enumerated Powers Act
A BILL
To require Congress to specify the source of authority under the United States Constitution for the enactment of laws, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Specification of constitutional authority for enactment of law
Constitutional authority for this Act— This Act is enacted pursuant to the power granted Congress under article I, section 8, clause 18, of the United States Constitution and the power granted to each House of Congress under article I, section 5, clause 2, of the United States Constitution.
Constitutional authority statement required— Chapter 2 of title 1, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 102 the following new section:
“102a. Constitutional authority clause
“(a) Each Act of Congress shall contain a concise and definite statement of the constitutional authority relied upon for the enactment of each portion of that Act. The failure to comply with this section shall give rise to a point of order in either House of Congress. The availability of this point of order does not affect any other available relief.
“(b) The provisions of this section are enacted by the Congress—
“(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such they shall be considered as part of the rules of each House, respectively, or of that House to which they specifically apply, and such rules shall supersede other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and
“(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change such rules (so far as relating to such House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of such House.”
Clerical amendment— The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 2 of title 1, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 102 the following new item: