S.J.Res. 1 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jan 7, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryProposes term limits for Congress members
This is a proposal to amend the Constitution, which is the highest law in the country. If approved by Congress and ratified by enough states, it would limit how long someone can serve in Congress. Senators could serve a maximum of two terms (12 years total), and House members could serve a maximum of three terms (six years total).
How it affects you
This would directly affect people who run for Congress or work in Congress. If it becomes law after going through the amendment process, voters would eventually have new representatives in Congress more frequently than they do now, since current members would be required to step down after hitting the term limit. Most people would experience this indirectly through changes in their representation over time.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 7, 2025)
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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS.J.Res. 1
JOINT RESOLUTION
A 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.
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) · Introduced Jan 7, 2025 · Congress · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 7, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”