# 119-hjres-141: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require the concurrence of two-thirds of both Houses of Congress for the admission of new States into the Union.

119-hjres-141, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require the concurrence of two-thirds of both Houses of Congress for the admission of new States into the Union., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7] (R-MI); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hjres-141
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hjres-141
- Congress: 119
- Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require the concurrence of two-thirds of both Houses of Congress for the admission of new States into the Union.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-01-21
- Sponsor: Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7] (R-MI)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Congress
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Makes it harder to admit new states by raising who must agree.** This proposed constitutional amendment changes the rules for statehood and sets a seven year window for the amendment's own ratification. - Congress: Admission would require broader federal agreement because Congress must meet the new approval threshold to admit a state. - State governments: Existing state legislatures would have to consent before a new state could be created from their territory or formed by joining parts of states. - Ratification rule and timeline: The amendment itself must be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures within seven years for it to become part of the Constitution.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Higher vote needed for new states: cost, low. This bill would require two thirds of both the House and the Senate to agree before Congress could admit a new State. If enacted, that would make it harder for territories or regions to gain statehood. The amendment would only take effect if state legislatures ratified it within seven years of Cong…
- Seven-year ratification deadline: cost, low. This bill would make the amendment inoperative unless state legislatures ratified it within seven years of Congress sending it to the States. If enacted, the amendment would become part of the Constitution only after three fourths of state legislatures ratified it within that seven-year window. The…
- New limits on creating new states: mixed, low. This bill would stop any new State from being made inside the borders of an existing State. It would also bar forming a State by joining parts of two or more States unless the affected state legislatures and Congress both consent. If enacted, the rule would protect current state boundaries but rest…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-hr-8324: Great American Healthcare Plan
- 119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-hr-353: Family First Act
- 119-hr-833: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hjres-141 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-joint-resolution/141)

## Related
- [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237)
- [119-hr-8324: Great American Healthcare Plan](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8324)
- [119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4317)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [119-hr-353: Family First Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-353)
- [119-hr-833: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-833)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hjres-141 (as of 2026-04-21).