The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously this week to approve a resolution calling for a convention of the states pursuant to Article V of the U.S. Constitution to require Congress to balance the federal budget each year. Joint Resolution 493 states that, in the absence of a congressional declaration of war or an economic recession, the total of all federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal revenues for that fiscal year.

Article V of the U.S. Constitution states that, if two-thirds of the states submit applications to Congress on the same subject matter, Congress must call for a convention for the purpose of proposing such an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. If approved by both chambers of the General Assembly, Tennessee will join 21 other states which have submitted similar balanced budget amendment requests to Congress.