Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2025

Key Points

• New Supreme Court Justices would serve 18 years on the active nine-member panel instead of serving for life. After 18 years, they become Senior Justices who can still do some judicial work but no longer decide the Court's biggest cases.
• Every president would get to appoint two Justices per four-year term, one in the first year and one in the third year after a presidential election. This makes the process predictable and gives each president an equal say in shaping the Court.
• If the Senate does not vote on a Supreme Court nominee within 120 days, the nominee would automatically be seated as a Justice. This prevents the kind of political blocking that has delayed or stopped nominees in recent years.
• Current Justices are completely exempt from the new rules. The 18-year term limit and the regular appointment schedule only apply to Justices appointed after the bill becomes law.
• When a Justice dies, becomes disabled, or is removed, the most recently retired Senior Justice would temporarily fill that seat until a new appointment happens on the regular schedule. This ensures the Court always has nine active members.

Impact Analysis

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