Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices.
- Bill Number
- H.J.Res. 1
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Law
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-07-06: Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 84.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T08:05:48Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to fix the size of the Supreme Court at nine justices.
Key Provisions
- The proposed amendment states that the Supreme Court shall consist of nine justices, including one chief justice and eight associate justices.
- Ratification requires approval by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states within seven years of submission.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- The Constitution currently does not specify the number of Supreme Court justices, allowing Congress to set the size through ordinary legislation.
- This amendment would constitutionally lock the court at nine members, removing Congress's ability to alter the size via statute.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: It would limit future congressional actions to expand or reduce the court's membership, affecting the legislative branch's flexibility in judicial matters.
- On citizens: It could provide greater stability to the federal judiciary by preventing changes in court size that might influence case outcomes or public perception of the court.
- On international relations: No direct effects are outlined in the resolution.
Main Stakeholders
- Members of Congress, who must approve the proposal by a two-thirds vote in both houses.
- State legislatures, responsible for ratifying the amendment.
- The Supreme Court and its justices, whose structure would be permanently defined.
- The general public, as the amendment would become part of the Constitution upon ratification.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The resolution follows the standard constitutional amendment process under Article V, requiring broad consensus across federal and state levels.
- It addresses ongoing debates about court size by embedding the current nine-justice structure into the foundational document, potentially reducing opportunities for structural reforms through regular lawmaking.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12], Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]
Recent Actions
- 2026-07-06: Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 84.
- 2026-07-06: Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-732.
- 2026-07-06: Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-732.
- 2026-06-03: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 15 - 8.
- 2026-06-03: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2025-01-03: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices. — issued 2025-01-03 — PDF (2 pages)
- Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices. — issued 2026-07-06 — PDF (4 pages)