H.R. 1074: Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2025 (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill establishes a new process for appointing Supreme Court Justices and introduces term limits for them. Here is a detailed overview of its main provisions:

Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices

The bill specifies that after the enactment of this law, the President of the United States will appoint one Supreme Court Justice every three years, occurring in the first and third years following a Presidential election. Each Justice will serve an 18-year term before being deemed retired from regular active service.

Panel of Senior Justices

Once a Justice has served the full 18 years, they will be replaced by one of the nine most junior Justices on the Court. Retired Justices will be considered Senior Justices but will not be counted within the active panel unless they are designated to serve temporarily in the event of a vacancy.

Filling Vacancies

If a vacancy occurs on the Supreme Court due to death, disability, or removal of a Justice, the most recently designated Senior Justice will temporarily fill that vacancy until a new Justice is appointed. If there are multiple vacancies, the Senior Justice who has served the shortest time will be appointed to fill the vacancy first.

Advice and Consent Authority

The bill also modifies the traditional process of Senate confirmation for Supreme Court nominees. If the Senate does not confirm a nominee within 120 days of their nomination, the nominee will automatically be seated as a Justice of the Supreme Court without needing further approval.

Exceptions and Conditions

Any Justice appointed before this bill's enactment will not be subject to the new provisions. This means that current Justices will continue in their roles without needing to retire after 18 years.

Amendments to Existing Law

Several updates to existing U.S. law (Title 28 of the United States Code) will be made to formally incorporate these changes regarding term limits, the designation of Senior Justices, and the process for filling vacancies.