SJRES 214 United States Senate · 119th Congress

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to prohibit the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as a punishment for a crime.

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would explicitly prohibit using slavery or involuntary servitude as a punishment for a crime. The bill seeks to remove the exception in the 13th Amendment that currently allows such practices within the criminal justice system. If ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures, this change would directly affect incarcerated individuals by banning forced labor as a sentence. The text clarifies that the amendment does not prevent voluntary work programs or community service alternatives for those in correctional institutions.
Sub-Topics: Human Trafficking
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Sep 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Sep 15, 2026 Last action Sep 15, 2026
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2
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Committee
1
Sep 15, 2026
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
upper
Sep 15, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 12 co-sponsors

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