HR 258: Congress; call convention to set term limits on members elected to the House of Representatives; apply

This resolution does not change any Georgia law. Instead, it uses a process in Article V of the U.S. Constitution that lets states apply to Congress to call a convention for proposing constitutional amendments once two-thirds of states have made the same request. Georgia's application asks for a convention limited solely to proposing an amendment that would set term limits for members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The resolution says Georgia's application should be combined with similar applications from other states on the same subject, but not with applications on any other topic, so it counts toward the two-thirds threshold needed to force Congress to act. It also asks Congress to set strict criminal penalties for anyone who tries to expand the convention beyond term limits, and directs the Speaker of the House to send copies of the resolution to congressional leaders and other state legislatures.

• Applies to the U.S. Congress under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to call a convention limited to proposing a term limits amendment for the U.S. House and Senate.
• States that Georgia's application should be aggregated only with other states' applications on the identical subject of congressional term limits, not with applications on other topics.
• Asks Congress to enact severe criminal penalties for anyone who tries to expand the convention's scope beyond term limits.
• Declares the application a continuing one that stays in effect until two-thirds of state legislatures have applied on the same subject.
• Directs the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives to send copies of the resolution to congressional leaders, Georgia legislators, and other states' legislatures.

This resolution most directly affects the U.S. Congress and members of the House of Representatives and Senate, whose terms could eventually be limited if a constitutional amendment results. It also involves other state legislatures, whose cooperation Georgia is requesting, and Georgia's own legislative leadership, who must distribute copies of the resolution.

If enough states pass matching applications, Congress would be required to call a convention to propose a federal term limits amendment, a process that has never been completed under Article V. The resolution itself changes nothing immediately; it is one state's contribution toward a national threshold.

• The resolving clause applies to Congress for a convention limited to proposing a term limits amendment covering both the House of Representatives and Senate.
• A further resolved clause specifies the application counts toward the two-thirds aggregation only with other states' applications on this same subject.
• Another clause insists the convention stay strictly limited to term limits and asks Congress to impose criminal penalties for exceeding that scope.
• The application is declared continuing until two-thirds of state legislatures have made the same application.
• The Speaker of the House is directed to distribute copies to U.S. congressional leaders, the Judiciary Committee Chairperson, Georgia legislators, and other states' presiding legislative officers.

1. 2025-02-19House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-18House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-13House Hopper (House)

• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)Primary sponsor
• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
• Emory Dunahoo (R, HD-031)

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