H.J. Res. 1, a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices
Cost Estimate
As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on June 3, 2026
H.J. Res. 1, a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justicesAs ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on June 3, 2026
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2026
2026-2031
2026-2036
Direct Spending (Outlays)
0
0
0
Revenues
0
0
0
Increase or Decrease (-) in the Deficit
0
0
0
Spending Subject to Appropriation (Outlays)
0
0
0
Increases net direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037?
No
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply?
No
Mandate Effects
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037?
H.J. Res. 1 would propose an amendment to the Constitution to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices, consisting of one chief justice and eight associate justices. By itself, the resolution would have no effect on the federal budget because it would not become law unless the legislatures of three-fourths of the states ratified the proposed amendment within seven years.
If the proposed amendment is ratified by the states, CBO expects that there would be no cost to implement the ratified amendment because the current Supreme Court is composed of one chief justice and eight associate justices.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
