CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS – States findings of the Legislature and appeals to the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention of the states to propose an amendment regarding term limits.
Summary
House Concurrent Resolution 23 is a nonbinding legislative application under Article V of the U.S. Constitution asking Congress to call a convention of the states for one limited purpose: proposing a federal constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The resolution states Idaho’s findings that states may use the Article V process to compel congressional action and that Idaho, as a body of citizen legislators, supports rotation in office for federal lawmakers.
The resolution also declares that Idaho is joining with other states that have sought congressional term limits and that, if Congress does not act, the states should proceed through a convention. It directs the Secretary of State to transmit the application to congressional leaders, Idaho’s congressional delegation, and the presiding officers of other state legislatures, and it specifies that the application is limited to the term-limits subject and is intended to be counted with similar applications from other states. It further states that the application is continuing until the required number of states has applied and that it supersedes prior Idaho applications on the same topic.
Impact
Because this is a concurrent resolution rather than a statute, HCR023 does not directly amend Idaho law or create enforceable state-level regulations. Its legal effect is to formally record Idaho’s application to Congress under Article V and to instruct state officials to transmit that application. The resolution is aimed at the federal constitutional amendment process and, if enough states adopt similar applications, could contribute to triggering a convention limited to proposing congressional term-limits amendments.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of congressional term limits and of using the states’ Article V authority to pursue them. The resolution frames term limits as a way to restore rotation in office and emphasizes state leverage over Congress. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no additional evidence of debate, amendments, or divided sentiment in the available materials.
Contention
The main point of contention inherent in the resolution is the use of an Article V convention, which some lawmakers and observers often view as an uncertain or potentially risky constitutional mechanism. The resolution anticipates that concern by repeatedly limiting the application to a single subject—term limits for members of Congress—and by stating that it should not be aggregated with applications on other subjects. Another likely area of disagreement is the policy itself: supporters favor term limits as a reform to reduce entrenched incumbency, while opponents may argue that term limits reduce voter choice and institutional experience.
States findings of the Legislature and makes three separate applications to the United States Congress to call a convention of the states under Article V of the Constitution of the United States.
States findings of the Legislature and proposes an amendment to the Idaho Constitution requiring a 2/3 vote of the Legislature to legalize certain illegal drugs.
States findings of the Legislature and establishes provisions regarding Commissioners representing the State of Idaho at an Article V Convention of the States.
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