SET Act

Sponsor: Christian D. Menefee (Democratic-TX)April 29, 2026

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Requires states to fill empty House seats with special elections within 180 days.

Currently, states decide how long to take to fill an empty seat in the House of Representatives. This bill would require states to hold a special election within 180 days of a House seat becoming empty. This means voters would get a new Representative much faster.

What Would Change

Today, states decide how long to take to fill an empty seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. This means there is no federal deadline, and voters might wait a long time for a new Representative. If this bill becomes law, states would be required to hold a special election within 180 days of a House vacancy, unless a regular election is already scheduled within that time. This would ensure districts get new representation much faster.

Key Provisions

Requires states to hold special elections for House vacancies within 180 days of the seat becoming empty.
Exempts states from the 180-day deadline if a regular general election is already scheduled within that timeframe.
Lets the Attorney General sue state chief executives who do not follow the 180-day special election deadline.
Allows any person, including the Speaker or Minority Leader of the House, to sue state chief executives for not following the special election deadline.
Defines 'special election' as the election to choose a candidate, not the process of nominating candidates.

View on Congress.gov

HR 8581 · 119th Congress · April 29, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10

SET Act

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity