# Plain Language Summary: Constitutional Amendment on Corporate Regulation

This is a proposal to change the U.S. Constitution to give Congress and state governments clearer power to regulate corporations and other business entities. Right now, there's ongoing legal debate about how much authority the government actually has to control what corporations do, especially after court decisions that have expanded certain corporate rights. This amendment would settle that question by explicitly stating that both the federal government and individual states can make and enforce rules about how corporations operate.

The practical effect would be to overturn or limit certain court rulings that have made it harder for governments to regulate business activities. For example, this could affect campaign finance laws, environmental regulations, labor protections, and consumer safety rules. Currently, corporations sometimes use constitutional protections (like free speech rights) to challenge these regulations in court. This amendment would make clear that the government's power to regulate corporations is stronger than those constitutional protections in many cases.

Who this affects depends on your perspective. If you support stronger government regulation of business—whether that's environmental protection, worker safety, or limiting corporate political spending—this amendment could help achieve those goals. If you believe corporations should have broad constitutional protections and less government interference, you'd likely oppose it. Business groups and free-speech advocates would probably argue against it, while consumer protection and labor advocates would likely support it. The amendment would need to pass both houses of Congress with a two-thirds majority and then be ratified by three-fourths of the states to become part of the Constitution.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to clarify the authority of Congress and the States to regulate corporations, limited liability companies, and other corporate entities established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state.

Tester, Jon

 <p>This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment declaring that (1) the rights enumerated in the Constitution and other rights retained by the people are the rights of natural persons; (2) the terms "people," "person," and "citizen" as used in the Constitution do not include corporate entities; and (3) corporate entities are subject to such regulation as the people, through representatives in Congress and state representatives, may determine reasonable, consistent with the powers of Congress and the states.</p>