Bills · SJRES 16
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
Senate Joint Res.SJRES 16Constitution and constitutional amendmentsJudges
A joint resolution 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.
INTRO FEB 6· LAST ACTION FEB 6
READING
1MIN
COSPONSORS
22
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThis bill matters because there's been a lot of discussion recently about potentially expanding the Supreme Court, a practice sometimes called "court packing." This proposal aims to prevent any future attempts to change the court's size by making the nine-justice structure a permanent part of the Constitution.
If this bill becomes law, it would bring greater long-term stability to the Supreme Court's composition, ensuring it remains at nine justices unless another constitutional amendment is passed. If it doesn't become law, the number of justices would continue to be determined by ordinary legislation, meaning a simple majority in Congress could theoretically change the court's size in the future, a power that could be used for political advantage.
KEY PROVISIONS
3AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Proposes a constitutional amendment to set the number of Supreme Court justices at nine.
This provision aims to make the current number of Supreme Court justices a permanent, constitutionally protected requirement.
PROVISION 02
Requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate for the amendment to be proposed.
This sets a high bar for congressional approval, reflecting the significance of amending the Constitution.
PROVISION 03
Sets a seven-year deadline for ratification by three-fourths (38) of the state legislatures.
This outlines the specific timeline and broad state support needed for the amendment to become part of the Constitution.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 22
R· Texas
YRS IN OFFICE
13
BILLS LED
131
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 0 REP 22 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSFEB 6
Introduced in Senate
FEB 6
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
BILL INFO
TypeSenate Joint Resolution
NumberSJRES 16
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedFeb 6, 2025
Last actionFeb 6, 2025
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · JUDICIARY COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED FEB 6, 2025
Senate Joint Res.SJRES 16Constitution and constitutional amendmentsJudges
A joint resolution 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.
INTRODUCED FEB 6, 2025· LAST ACTION FEB 6, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
1 min
COSPONSORS
22
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
