SB127 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bill Hightower

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Term limits, members of Senate and House of Representatives limited to three consecutive full terms, const. amend.

Summary

SB 127 would propose a constitutional amendment to limit Alabama legislators to three consecutive full terms per chamber, count two-year terms as full terms, and grandfather in pre-2018 service, pending voter approval.

What This Bill Does

If passed, it would cap the Senate and House at three consecutive full terms. It would treat any election lasting at least two years as a full term for the purposes of the limit. There is a grandfather clause that allows current or recent legislators who served before November 2018 to continue serving. The change would take effect only if a majority of voters approve the amendment in a statewide election.

Who It Affects

• State senators and state representatives (current and future) would be limited to three consecutive full terms in their respective chamber; two-year terms would count as a full term; and pre-2018 service rules would apply in a grandfather-like manner.
• Alabama voters would decide whether to adopt the constitutional change; their approval is required for the amendment to become part of the Constitution.

Key Provisions

• No person may be elected to the Alabama Senate for more than three full consecutive terms.
• No person may be elected to the Alabama House of Representatives for more than three full consecutive terms.
• An election to either the Senate or the House for at least two years shall be equivalent to the election of a person for a full term in the respective body.
• Notwithstanding the foregoing, service in the Senate prior to November 2018 shall not disqualify, in whole or in part, a person from service in the Senate following that date, and service in the House of Representatives prior to November 2018 shall not disqualify, in whole or in part, a person from service in the House of Representatives following that date.
• An election upon the proposed amendment shall be held and the amendment shall become valid as part of the Constitution when approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Constitutional Amendments