# What This Bill Actually Does

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would limit how long members of Congress can serve in office. Specifically, it would cap House members at six terms (12 years, since each term is 2 years) and Senators at two terms (6 years, since each term is 6 years). Right now, there's no limit—members can theoretically serve for life if they keep getting reelected.

The amendment would only apply to terms served after it becomes official. Any time someone is currently serving or has already served wouldn't count against their limit. So if this passed tomorrow, a 20-year veteran in the House could potentially serve two more terms before hitting the six-term cap, but then they'd have to stop. The amendment also clarifies that if someone fills a vacant seat mid-term and serves long enough (more than a year for House members, more than three years for Senators), that counts as one full term toward their limit.

For this to actually become law, it would need approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate, then ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures within seven years. That's a high bar—it's intentionally difficult to amend the Constitution. If it did pass, the practical effect would be that Congress would have much higher turnover, with experienced lawmakers forced to leave office. Supporters argue this would bring fresh perspectives and reduce the advantage of incumbency; critics worry it would shift power to lobbyists and staff who have institutional knowledge, since newly elected members would have less time to develop expertise.

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

Rep. Fallon, Pat [R-TX-4]

 <p>This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting Representatives to six terms and Senators to two terms. Terms beginning before the ratification of this amendment do not count towards these term limits.</p>