H.R. 8647: Representative Green’s Original Legislation to increase from 9 to 13 the number of justices of the Supreme Court.

This bill, titled H.R. 8647, aims to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court of the United States from the current nine to thirteen. The key provisions of the bill include the following:

Proposed Changes

• The total number of Supreme Court justices would be increased from **nine** to **thirteen**.
• This change would involve modifying existing legal statutes that define the number of justices.

Legal Framework

The amendment to the law would involve changes to Title 28 of the United States Code, specifically by replacing:

• The term "eight" with "twelve," implying that there would be twelve associate justices in addition to the Chief Justice.
• The term "six" with "eight," indicating the number of justices required to constitute a quorum for the Supreme Court to operate.

Implications

The expansion of the Supreme Court seeks to alter the composition and potentially the ideological balance of the court itself. This change could have various implications for how laws are interpreted and enforced in the United States. It may affect the types of cases the court hears and the decisions made in those cases.

Legislative Process

As of May 4, 2026, this bill was introduced in the House of Representatives and has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary for further consideration.

Relevant Companies

None found.