Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2025

Summary

Creates an 18-year service rule for Supreme Court justices (treating a justice who has served 18 years as retired from regular active service unless disabled), requires the nine most junior justices to constitute the Court’s active panel, and makes Senate nonaction on a nomination for 120 days into a waiver that results in seating the nominee. It also lets the most-recently-retired eligible Justice be designated to temporarily fill vacancies until a new appointment is made, and exempts any Justice appointed before enactment from the new counting and retirement rules.

• Imposes an 18-year service threshold that effectively treats a Justice as retired from regular active service after 18 years, unless eligible for disability retirement.
• Declares Senate nonaction on a Supreme Court nomination for 120 days to be a waiver that results in seating the nominee.
• Specifies that the nine most junior Justices constitute the Court’s active panel for purposes described in the bill, with current Justices exempted.
• Allows the most-recently-retired eligible Justice (a "Senior Justice") to be designated to temporarily fill a Supreme Court vacancy until a new Justice is appointed and seated.
• If multiple vacancies occur, assigns retired Senior Justices to vacancies based on shortest seniority among retirees.
• Redefines who qualifies as a Senior Justice and bars those who retired under disability retirement from serving as Senior Justices.
• Makes conforming edits to Title 28 retirement and assignment statutes to implement the new rules.
• Does not include explicit new spending or appropriations in the provided text.
• Creates predictable vacancy timing and a mechanism to keep the Court staffed while new appointments proceed.