Supreme Court Tenure & Term Limits Reform

Current understanding

To be populated as evidence accumulates.

Evidence log

• 2022-11-01 — Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2021: The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2021 (117th Congress) proposed staggered 18-year terms, presidential appointments every two years, and waiver of Senate advice and consent if the Senate failed to act within 120 days of a nomination; it did not advance beyond subcommittee referral and made no change to existing law. (novelty: 2)
• 2025-09-18 — District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act: Noted as a parallel but distinct judicial-structure reform track: the DC Judicial Nominations Reform Act would abolish the DC Judicial Nomination Commission and vest nomination/chief-judge appointment powers in the President, affecting local (DC) judiciary rather than the federal Supreme Court. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-04 — Representative Green’s Original Legislation to increase from 9 to 13 the number of justices of the Supreme Court.: HR8647 (Rep. Green) proposes expanding the Supreme Court from 9 to 13 justices — a parallel but distinct structural reform track from tenure/term limits; referred to House Judiciary Committee. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-02-25 — Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act: cross-connection with supreme-court-ethics-investigations: Both are parallel Supreme Court reform tracks in the 119th Congress addressing judicial accountability — one via ethics/investigation standards, the other via tenure and term limits. (novelty: 2)
• 2025-05-21 — Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act of 2025: HR3544 (Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act of 2025) introduced in the 119th Congress and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary; proposes changes to Supreme Court justice tenure and retirement structures. (novelty: 2)

Open questions

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