A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to normalize vacancies and appointments for justices of the Supreme Court of the United States and for other purposes.
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Committee
Latest Action · December 5, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would establish 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, replacing the current system of lifetime appointments. Under the proposal, the nine-justice Court would remain unchanged in size, but justices appointed after ratification would serve fixed 18-year terms beginning on odd-numbered years, with one new justice appointed every two years on a staggered schedule. The amendment includes provisions for filling vacancies before a justice's term begins, allowing the president to appoint a replacement for the remainder of an unexpired term, and automatically making the most senior justice the Chief Justice when that position becomes vacant. The resolution requires ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures to become part of the Constitution and includes a grandfather clause allowing current justices serving at the time of ratification to complete their service under existing rules. This proposal was introduced in December 2024 by Senators Peter Welch and Joe Manchin.
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