Bill > AJR18

This Joint Resolution urges the United States Congress to pass Senate Joint Resolution No. 10, which proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to guarantee that no person is denied or restricted in their legal rights because of their sex. This proposed amendment, known as the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), aims to ensure that men and women are treated equally under the law, providing a clear legal remedy against sex discrimination and clarifying how courts should handle such cases. The resolution highlights that while some progress has been made through legislation and court interpretations of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, these protections are not as robust as those envisioned by the ERA, which would make "sex" a suspect classification, meaning any government action treating sexes differently would need to be justified by a compelling state interest. The resolution also notes that the ERA was first introduced in Congress in 1923, passed by Congress in 1972, but failed to be ratified by the required number of states by its deadline, and that California was among the first states to ratify it. Finally, it requests that California's Chief Clerk send copies of this resolution to the President, Vice President, and Members of the U.S. Congress to encourage their support for the ERA.