Loading…
H.J.Res. 1119th CongressPlaced on the calendarLatest action Jul 6, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: 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:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HJRES 1 would write nine Supreme Court justices into the Constitution, requiring 38 states to ratify it within seven years.
40-second read · 4 questions answered below
HJRES 1 proposes a constitutional amendment that would permanently set the number of Supreme Court justices at nine — one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Currently, Congress can change that number through regular legislation. Writing it into the Constitution would make nine the fixed, unchangeable number.
This bill affects all Americans, since the Supreme Court issues final rulings on major legal questions that touch everyday life. It also directly affects Congress and future presidents, who would lose the authority to add or remove justices.
Fixing the number at nine would remove Congress's and the president's ability to alter the Court's size for any reason in the future. Those who oppose the measure argue that permanently locking the number eliminates flexibility that future generations might need.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: it was placed on the House floor calendar, and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House — both chambers have to pass the same text, each by two thirds. A proposed constitutional amendment never goes to the President: it goes to the states, and three quarters of them have to ratify it before it takes effect.
Latest action: — Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 84.