SR23: SR23 US Congress; limited to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to set a limit on the number of terms that a person may be elected; apply to call a convention

This resolution is Georgia's formal request to the United States Congress to use a process in Article V of the U.S. Constitution, which lets Congress call a convention to propose constitutional amendments once two thirds of state legislatures ask for it on the same subject. Georgia's application asks for a convention limited strictly to proposing term limits for members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The resolution says this application should be grouped with similar applications from other states seeking the same term limits amendment, counted together toward the two thirds threshold needed to force Congress to act, but not combined with applications on any other topic. It also asks Congress to set a severe criminal penalty for anyone who tries to expand the convention beyond that single subject, and states the application stays in effect until enough states join in.

• Formally applies to the United States Congress, on Georgia's behalf, to call an Article V convention limited to proposing term limits for the U.S. House and Senate.
• Directs that Georgia's application be combined only with other states' applications on the identical subject of congressional term limits, not any other topic, when counting toward the two thirds needed.
• Calls on Congress to impose a severe criminal penalty on anyone who violates the limited scope of the convention call.
• Declares the application a continuing one that remains active until two thirds of state legislatures have applied on the same subject.
• Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives to send copies of the resolution to U.S. Senate and House leadership and to other state legislatures.

This resolution directly concerns members of the United States Congress, since it targets their own term limits, and it involves the Georgia General Assembly's formal communications with Congress and with other state legislatures pursuing the same Article V application.

If enough other states pass matching applications, Georgia's resolution would count toward the two thirds needed to force Congress to hold a constitutional convention on congressional term limits, a step that has never happened under Article V and would set new precedent for amending the U.S. Constitution.

• Applies to Congress under Article V of the U.S. Constitution for a convention limited solely to proposing term limits for U.S. House and Senate members.
• Specifies the application aggregates only with other states' applications on the identical term limits subject, not with applications on unrelated topics.
• States Georgia's insistence that the convention stay strictly limited to this subject and urges Congress to criminalize attempts to exceed that scope.
• Declares the application continuing in effect until two thirds of state legislatures submit matching applications.
• Directs distribution of the resolution to U.S. Senate and House leaders, the Judiciary Committee chair, Georgia legislators, and other states' presiding legislative officers.

1. 2026-03-20House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2026-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
3. 2025-02-24House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-21House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-20Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-02-20Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-02-10Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2025-02-06Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)Primary sponsor
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)

1. FailedSenate voteFebruary 20, 2025

   22 yea, 30 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)

   Adoption Of Amendment #1 By The Senator From The 14th: Senate Vote #74

2. PassedSenate voteFebruary 20, 2025

   34 yea, 18 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)

   Adoption: Senate Vote #75

• term limits
• Article V convention
• U.S. Congress
• constitutional amendment