This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to close a loophole in the Thirteenth Amendment that has allowed slavery and involuntary servitude to be used as criminal punishment since 1865. Currently, the Thirteenth Amendment bans slavery nationwide except as punishment for a crime, a provision that Congress argues has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Black Americans being subjected to forced labor through the criminal justice system. The proposed amendment would completely eliminate this exception, prohibiting any use of slavery or involuntary servitude as criminal punishment while explicitly preserving the ability of incarcerated people to voluntarily work and participate in job training programs. The resolution does not involve federal funding or specific implementation timelines, as constitutional amendments require approval by two-thirds of both the House and Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures to become law. The measure was introduced by a bipartisan group of House members in September 2026 and referred to the Judiciary Committee.