CHAPTER 164

House Concurrent Resolution No. 5022

A Concurrent Resolution making application to the Congress of the United States for a limited national convention for the exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States establishing term limits for members of Congress.

WHEREAS, The framers of the Constitution of the United States of America intended that the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate should be “dependent on the people alone” (James Madison, Federalist 52); and

WHEREAS, Throughout American history, this dependency has evolved from a dependency on the American people alone to a dependency on powerful special interests, through spending by third-party groups, campaigns or out-of-state donors, which have created a fundamental imbalance in our representative democracy and eroded the people’s trust in government; and

WHEREAS, Americans across the political spectrum agree that elections in the United States of America should be free from the disproportional influence of special interests and fair enough that any citizen can be elected into office; and

WHEREAS, The Constitution of the State of Kansas states that “all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and are instituted for their equal protection and benefit” (Bill of Rights, Section 2); and

WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States requires the Congress of the United States to call a convention for proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States upon the application of two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states; and

WHEREAS, The Kansas Legislature perceives the need for a convention in order to ensure balance and integrity in our elections by proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that will establish term limits for members of Congress to prevent the accumulation of inordinate power in members with longevity who are able to amass high amounts of funds for reelection; and

WHEREAS, A national convention would give the American people an opportunity to come together as a nation, by discussing solutions on how to ensure the integrity of our elections and renew the American people’s trust in government; and

WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States clearly states that any amendment, whether proposed by the Congress of the United States or by a convention, shall be ratified by 75% of the states, presently 38 states, ensuring that only the most reasonable proposals with widespread support shall become part of the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Notwithstanding any federal or Kansas law to the contrary, the State of Kansas desires its delegates to such a national convention to be composed equally of individuals currently elected to state and local offices or selected by election in each congressional district in Kansas, except that all individuals elected or appointed to federal office, now or in the past, shall be prohibited from serving as Kansas delegates. The State of Kansas intends to retain the ability to enforce the responsibility and conduct of its delegation within the limits herein expressed: Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Kansas,a majority of the members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House of Representatives and a majority of the members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the Senate concurring therein: That the people of the State of Kansas, speaking through its legislature and pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United States, hereby apply to the Congress of the United States to call a convention for the exclusive purpose of 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 as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate; and

Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State shall send enrolled copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States in the Vice President’s capacity as presiding officer of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, each Senator and Representative from Kansas in the Congress of the United States, with the respectful request that the full and complete text of this resolution be printed in the Congressional Record, the presiding officers of each legislative body of each of the several states, requesting the cooperation of the states in issuing an application compelling the Congress of the United States to call a convention for proposing amendments pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United States.

Adopted by the House February 4, 2026.

Adopted by the Senate March 5, 2026.