Official Summaries

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution establishing term limits for individuals serving in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The proposed amendment makes an individual who has served two terms in the Senate ineligible for appointment or election to the Senate and an individual who has served three terms as a Member of the House of Representatives ineligible for election to the House of Representatives.

The joint resolution provides that the amendment shall be valid when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification.

Under Article V of the Constitution, both chambers of Congress may propose an amendment by a vote of two-thirds of all Members present for such vote. A proposed amendment must be ratified by the states as prescribed in Article V and as specified by Congress.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 1 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. J. RES. 1

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
relative to limiting the number of terms that a Member of Congress may 
                                 serve.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 7, 2025

Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Lee, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. 
 Paul, Mr. Young, Mr. Daines, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. Lummis, Mrs. Britt, Mr. 
  Marshall, and Mr. Banks) introduced the following joint resolution; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
relative to limiting the number of terms that a Member of Congress may 
                                 serve.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled   (two-thirds of each House 
concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be 
valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 
ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States 
within seven years after the date of its submission by the Congress:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. No person who has served 3 terms as a Representative 
shall be eligible for election to the House of Representatives. For 
purposes of this section, the election of a person to fill a vacancy in 
the House of Representatives shall be included as 1 term in determining 
the number of terms that such person has served as a Representative if 
the person fills the vacancy for more than 1 year.
    ``Section 2. No person who has served 2 terms as a Senator shall be 
eligible for election or appointment to the Senate. For purposes of 
this section, the election or appointment of a person to fill a vacancy 
in the Senate shall be included as 1 term in determining the number of 
terms that such person has served as a Senator if the person fills the 
vacancy for more than 3 years.
    ``Section 3. No term beginning before the date of the ratification 
of this article shall be taken into account in determining eligibility 
for election or appointment under this article.''.
                                 <all>