Committee advances single-topic Article V resolution on congressional term limits after amending threshold

The Committee on Federal and State Affairs on a voice vote reported HCR 5022 favorably after amending the resolution to replace a two‑thirds legislative approval requirement with a simple majority.

The chair and the bill sponsor said the concurrent resolution would call for an Article V convention limited to setting term limits for members of the U.S. House and Senate. Mike Heim of the Revisor’s office circulated an amendment that, he said, would “strike the 2 thirds and add majority.”

The amendment passed on a committee voice vote and the committee then voted to advance the measure out of committee. Several members asked that their individual votes be recorded; Chair Kessel announced that the resolution passed favorably.

Representative Osmond, speaking in opposition, described a long history of mixed votes on conventions of states and said he could not support HCR 5022. He questioned the effect of term limits on institutional knowledge and warned that “the people most experienced in any building is gonna be the lobbyists,” and that recent related legislation could chill protected political speech.

Supporters and the chair emphasized the single‑topic limitation in HCR 5022, saying it confines the convention call to the issue of term limits alone and does not open broader constitutional questions. The chair clarified the distinction between HCR 5022 and another recent bill addressing delegate selection and sanctions.

The committee’s vote cleared the way for the resolution to be reported favorably to the next legislative stage; the chair moved on to a hearing on unrelated legislation.

Ending: The committee reported HCR 5022 favorably as amended; the resolution is expected to proceed to the next formal step in the legislative process.