The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Proposed Constitutional Amendment for Supreme Court Term Limits
Last action · May 4, 2026: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.Sponsors: Johnny Olszewski and 6 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
This proposes a constitutional amendment to limit Supreme Court justices to 18-year terms. If ratified, the amendment would also require the immediate removal of any sitting justice who has already served 18 years or more.
If passed by Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the states, this amendment would change the lifetime appointment structure of the Supreme Court, potentially resulting in the immediate removal of current justices who have served 18 years or longer.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Supreme Court Justices
Justices would be subject to an 18-year term limit, with current justices having served 18+ years facing immediate termination.
State Legislatures
State legislatures are responsible for the ratification process required to make the amendment part of the Constitution.
Key Facts
- The resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting Supreme Court justice tenure to 18 years.
- The amendment requires ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states to become law.
- Justices serving at the time of ratification who have already served 18 years or more would have their terms terminated.
- If a Chief Justice is removed due to the 18-year limit, the position would be filled according to existing law.
Show all 5 facts
- The resolution requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate to proceed to the states for ratification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Would this apply to justices currently on the Supreme Court?
What happens if a Chief Justice is removed under this rule?
How does a constitutional amendment become law?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- May 4, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- May 4, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Removal Provision
The bill includes an explicit provision for the immediate termination of current justices who have already met the 18-year threshold upon ratification.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance95How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment40Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz75Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools