S.J.Res. 38 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Mar 25, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryDeclares Equal Rights Amendment Officially Ratified
This joint resolution says the Equal Rights Amendment, which bans discrimination based on sex, is now a valid constitutional amendment. The amendment was originally proposed in 1972 and had ratification deadlines that passed, but enough states have since approved it. This resolution settles the question of whether those time limits matter and makes the amendment official regardless.
How it affects you
This doesn't directly change laws you live under today, since it's about settling a constitutional question rather than creating new rules. However, if the amendment becomes official, it could affect how courts handle sex discrimination cases going forward, potentially giving stronger legal protection against discrimination based on sex. The resolution's main effect is resolving a long legal dispute about the amendment's status.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Mar 25, 2025)
This joint resolution provides that the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, regardless of any time limit that was in the original proposal.
The Equal Rights Amendment was originally proposed to the states in 1972. The original proposal included a deadline for ratification of March 22, 1979; Congress subsequently extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. Although the requisite 38 states have ratified the amendment, three of these states did so after the deadlines, and five states subsequently rescinded their ratifications. The status of the amendment has been the subject of litigation.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS.J.Res. 38
JOINT RESOLUTION
A joint resolution establishing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Sponsor: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) · Introduced Mar 25, 2025 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 25, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”