House vacancy elections must occur within 180 days
In committeeH.R. 8581Latest action
Sponsor: Christian D. Menefee · Representative · TX
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Official title: To require States to hold special elections to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives not later than 180 days after a vacancy occurs in the House of Representatives, and for other purposes.
119th Congress
Topics: Government & democracy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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States would have 180 days to hold a when a U.S. House seat becomes vacant, or face a federal lawsuit.
40-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
This bill would require states to hold a within 180 days whenever a U.S. House seat becomes empty. The one exception is if a regularly scheduled general election for that seat is already set to happen within that same 180-day period.
Who does it affect?
State governments would face a new deadline they currently do not have. The U.S. Attorney General, private citizens harmed by a violation, or the or could sue a non-complying state governor in federal court.
Why does it matter?
Right now, states have wide flexibility in deciding when or whether to hold , meaning some may go unfilled for extended periods. This bill would change that by setting a firm deadline and creating a legal path to enforce it.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedApr 29, 2026
- House committeeYou are here · Apr 29, 2026
- House vote
- Senate
- The president's desk
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.