The Constitution of the United States provides several basic requirements for eligibility to be elected to the office of President. Individual states did not introduce significant relevant legislation until the 2008 election of Barack Obama, when a controversy known as the birther movement was promoted by various conspiracy theorists. The "birthers" asserted during the 2008 presidential election campaign that Obama was not a natural-born U.S. citizen, as mandated by the Constitution, and thus was ineligible to be President of the United States, prompting several state legislatures to consider legislation aimed at requiring future presidential candidates to provide proof of citizenship by birth before being granted ballot access in their state. None of these efforts led to the passage of currently active laws.
Background
Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution sets only three qualifications for holding the presidency. To serve as president, one must: be a natural-born U.S. citizen of the United States; be at least 35 years old; be a resident in the United States for at least 14 years.
A person who meets the above qualifications could still not be qualified to hold office if that person has exceeded the term limits of the 22nd amendment, or if they have been disqualified from holding any "office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States" a legal term which, debatably, may or may not include the Presidency as well following either impeachment and conviction under Article I, Section 3, Clause 7, or rebellion against the United States and subsequent disqualification under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
2009 proposed federal legislation
In March 2009, Representative Bill Posey, a newly elected Republican from Florida's 15th congressional district, introduced a bill, H.R. 1503, in the U.S. House of Representatives to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. The amendment would have required candidates for the Presidency "to include with the [campaign] committee's statement of organization a copy of the candidate's birth certificate" plus other supporting documentation. Posey's bill never received a vote by the full House of Representatives, and died when the 111th Congress adjourned at the end of 2010.
Proposed state presidential eligibility legislation post–2008
During the 2008 presidential election campaign, there was some controversy generated by conspiracy theorists who claimed that (eventual election winner) Obama was not a natural-born U.S. citizen, as mandated by the Constitution, and thus was ineligible to be President of the United States. This prompted several state legislatures to consider, in the aftermath of the election, legislation aimed at requiring future presidential candidates to show proof of presidential eligibility before being granted ballot access in their state.
Alabama
Legislation introduced in April 2011 by state Senator Slade Blackwell would require any candidate running for an office with an age requirement to present their birth certificate.
Arizona
On April 19, 2010, the Arizona House of Representatives voted in favor of a rider to require presidential candidates "to submit documents proving they meet the constitutional requirements to be president". If enacted, the law would give the Arizona Secretary of State the power to omit a candidate's name on the state ballot if there is "reasonable cause" to believe that the documents are not adequate proof of the requirements for office. The rider passed the Arizona House of Representatives on a 31–29 vote, with only Republicans voting in favor and some Republicans joining with Democrats to oppose. The bill then went to the Arizona State Senate, which declined to vote on the bill before the April 2010 end of legislative session, the deadline for the bill's passage.
In reaction to the proposed legislation, The Arizona Republic referred to it as a "nutty birther bill" that would make Arizona seem to be a place where "any crackpot whim can be enshrined in law". Arizona Republican State Representative Cecil Ash, who supported the bill, appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° to discuss the bill. Ash stated that he believed President Obama was an American citizen, but there has been "a lot of controversy over the issue". Cooper then likened the people who believe there is a birth certificate controversy to people who believe the moon is made of cheese and asked Ash if he knew the moon was not made of cheese without investigation. Ash responded in the affirmative.