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SJR 4

State Senate and House of Delegates Term Limits Amendment

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Laura Chapman and 2 co-sponsors

Implements constitutional term limits: Senators limited to 3 consecutive 4-year terms and Delegates to 6 consecutive 2-year terms, counting only terms after ratification.

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Bill Summary · SJR 4

Overview

  • Legislative action: Senate Joint Resolution 4 (SJR 4)
  • Session: 2026, West Virginia
  • Purpose: Proposes a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of the State Senate and the House of Delegates.
  • Status: Introduced January 14, 2026; referred to the Judiciary Committee and then to the Finance Committee.

What the bill would do

  • Amend the West Virginia Constitution, Article VI, Section 3 (as it currently exists in the bill’s text):

    • Senators would be limited to three consecutive terms.
    • Delegates would be limited to six consecutive terms.
    • Terms beginning after ratification of the amendment would count toward these limits.
    • Terms that began before ratification are not counted toward the limits, but any partial term served after ratification would count as a full term for purposes of the limit.
    • The initial division of Senate terms for the first election, and the staggered two-year vs. four-year terms for initial class assignment, would be retained as currently described for the purposes of transition.

  • Ratification process:

    • If approved by both houses, the question would be submitted to WV voters at the next general election in 2026.
    • The amendment, once ratified, would be designated as Amendment 1 to the Constitution of West Virginia.

Key provisions and details

  • Term limits:

    • Senate: a maximum of three consecutive terms (each term being four years).
    • House of Delegates: a maximum of six consecutive terms (each term being two years).

  • Transition and counting rules:

    • All terms beginning after ratification count toward the respective term-limit total.
    • Any term that began before ratification is not counted toward the limit.
    • A partial term served after ratification would be considered a full term for limit purposes.

  • Nominal dates and designations:

    • The amendment would be numbered “Amendment 1” for purposes of the state constitution.
    • The summarized purpose statement emphasizes limiting consecutive service to curb long tenure.

Potential impact

  • Legislative body composition:

    • Could reduce long-tenured membership in both chambers by capping consecutive service.
    • Notably, term limits would apply only to consecutive terms; non-consecutive terms could be pursued after a break in service (as the text specifies “consecutive terms”).

  • Transition considerations:

    • The timing hinges on ratification at the 2026 general election; if ratified, the term limits would apply to terms beginning after ratification.
    • Early term counts depend on the interpretation of “consecutive” and the transition rules described.

Affected entities

  • Members of:
    • West Virginia State Senate
    • West Virginia House of Delegates
  • State governance and political candidates seeking these offices
  • Voters approving or rejecting the constitutional amendment in 2026

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduction and referrals: January 14, 2026; referred to the Judiciary Committee and then to the Finance Committee.
  • Next steps (if advanced): Potential floor consideration by both chambers, followed by placement on the ballot for the November 2026 general election if passed by both houses.
  • Designation and summary: If ratified, the amendment will be cited as Amendment 1 to the WV Constitution and described as a measure to limit consecutive service.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current term rules or draft plain-language Q&A for voters.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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