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S.J.Res. 2Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

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.

Sponsored by Ted CruzSen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Introduced January 3, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 10:53 AM UTC

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would place term limits on members of Congress. It would bar anyone who has served three terms in the House of Representatives from being elected again, and anyone who has served two terms in the Senate from being elected or appointed again. The amendment also defines how service filling vacancies counts toward those limits and applies only to terms beginning after ratification.

Key Provisions

  • House members may serve a maximum of three terms; serving more than one year in a vacancy counts as a term.
  • Senators may serve a maximum of two terms; serving more than three years in a vacancy counts as a term.
  • Terms that began before the amendment’s ratification are not counted toward the limits.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

January 3, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 3, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

January 3, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued January 3, 2017

IIA

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. J. RES. 2

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 3, 2017

Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Perdue) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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.

That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission by the Congress:

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1.

No person who has served 3 terms as a Representative shall be eligible for election to the House of Representatives. For purposes of this section, the election of a person to fill a vacancy in the House of Representatives shall be included as 1 term in determining the number of terms that such person has served as a Representative if the person fills the vacancy for more than 1 year.

2.

No person who has served 2 terms as a Senator shall be eligible for election or appointment to the Senate. For purposes of this section, the election or appointment of a person to fill a vacancy in the Senate shall be included as 1 term in determining the number of terms that such person has served as a Senator if the person fills the vacancy for more than 3 years.

3.

No term beginning before the date of the ratification of this article shall be taken into account in determining eligibility for election or appointment under this article.

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