Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H3842: Resolutions for a United States constitutional amendment and a limited amendment proposing convention
Status: Failed, May 14, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
WHEREAS, the 1st President of the United States George Washington stated, “The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government."; and WHEREAS, it was the stated intention of the framers of the Constitution of the United States of America that the Congress of the United States of America should be "dependent on the people alone." (James Madison, Federalist 52); and WHEREAS, that dependency has evolved from a dependency on the people alone to a dependency on those who spend excessively in elections, through campaigns or third-party groups; and WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) removed restrictions on amounts of independent political spending; and WHEREAS, the removal of those restrictions has resulted in the unjust influence of powerful economic forces, which have supplanted the will of the people by undermining our ability to choose our political leadership, write our own laws, and determine the fate of our state; and WHEREAS, corporations are artificial entities that governments create and, as such, do not possess the same unalienable rights of natural persons protected by the Constitution; and WHEREAS, corporations have used a claim to the rights enumerated in the US Constitution, including under the 1st, 4th, 5th and 14th …
Sponsors
- Carmine Gentile (D) · primary sponsor
- David Vieira (R, 3rd Barnstable)
- James Eldridge (D, Middlesex and Worcester)
- Natalie Higgins (D, 4th Worcester)
- Mary Keefe (D, 15th Worcester)
- Jacob Oliveira (D)
- Kelly Pease (R, 4th Hampden)
Latest actions
- : Accompanied a study order, see H5422 (under House Rule 27)
- : Hearing rescheduled to 11/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-03:50 PM in B-1 and Virtual<br> <span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">Hearing updated to New End Time</span>
- : Hearing scheduled for 11/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs
- : Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order
Common questions
- What is H3842?
- H3842 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): Resolutions for a United States constitutional amendment and a limited amendment proposing convention.
- What is the status of H3842?
- Failed as of May 14, 2026. Latest action: Accompanied a study order, see H5422 (under House Rule 27) (May 14, 2026).
- Who sponsored H3842?
- Carmine Gentile (D), with 6 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H3842?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3842
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.