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Age Cutoff Limits for Congress
AKA “Congressional Leadership Renewal Act”
Which agency/agencies promulgated the regulation? *
• U.S. Congress (via the U.S. Constitution’s Article I, §§ 2 & 3)
• Article I, § 2 – add an upper-age limit for Representatives.
• Article I, § 3 – add an upper-age limit for Senators.
—OPTIONAL--
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
“Federal Legislator Age-Limit Amendment”
The Constitution currently sets only minimum age requirements (25 for Representatives, 30 for Senators) with no maximum. Imposing a uniform upper-age cap (e.g. 75 years) promotes generational turnover, helps guard against age-related decline in capacity, and ensures our legislature remains responsive to evolving national challenges.
U.S. House Judiciary Committee
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
226 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5225
Since 1789, Article I has prescribed only minimum ages for Members. No constitutional text limits how long or how old a Representative or Senator may serve. By contrast, many democracies cap legislative service or impose retirement ages to safeguard institutional agility and representative diversity.
• Article I, § 2: Amending to set an upper age (e.g. 75) ensures House Members maintain the vigor and connections needed to serve a 21st-century electorate.
• Article I, § 3: Mirroring in the Senate clause balances the two chambers and fosters leadership renewal.
These changes preserve the benefits of experience while mandating timely transitions to new leadership.
— Article I, § 2 (Representative qualifications) amended to read:
“No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five Years, nor more than seventy-five Years, at the time of election…”
— Article I, § 3 (Senator qualifications) amended to read:
“No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained the age of thirty Years, nor more than seventy-five Years, at the time of election…”
All other constitutional qualifications and procedures remain unchanged.
Jim Jordan, Chuck Grassley
Chair, U.S. House Judiciary Committee; • Title: Chair