HJR 495

1
House Joint Resolution
2A joint resolution proposing amendments to Section 15 of
3Article III and Section 4 of Article VI and the creation
4of a new section in Article XII of the State Constitution
5to revise the term limits that apply to State Senators and
6State Representatives and to impose term limits on elected
7county and municipal officers.
8
9Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11     That the following amendments to Section 15 of Article III
12and Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of a new Section in
13Article XII of the State Constitution are agreed to and shall be
14submitted to the electors of this state for approval or
15rejection at the next general election or at an earlier special
16election specifically authorized by law for that purpose:
17
ARTICLE III
18
LEGISLATURE
19     SECTION 15.  Terms and qualifications of legislators.-
20     (a)  SENATORS.  Senators shall be elected for staggered
21terms of six four years. The legislature must divide the senate
22districts as evenly as possible into three classes, those from
23odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of which are
24multiples of four and those from even-numbered districts in
25even-numbered years the numbers of which are not multiples of
26four; except, at the election next following a reapportionment,
27some senators shall be elected for terms of two years when
28necessary to maintain staggered terms.
29     (b)  REPRESENTATIVES.  Members of the house of
30representatives shall be elected for terms of four two years,
31those from odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of
32which are multiples of four and those from even-numbered
33districts in even-numbered years the numbers of which are not
34multiples of four in each even-numbered year.
35     (c)  QUALIFICATIONS.  Each legislator shall be at least
36twenty-one years of age, an elector and resident of the district
37from which elected and shall have resided in the state for a
38period of two years prior to election.
39     (d)  ASSUMING OFFICE; VACANCIES.  Members of the
40legislature shall take office upon election. Vacancies in
41legislative office shall be filled only by election as provided
42by law.
43
ARTICLE VI
44
SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS
45     SECTION 4.  Disqualifications.-
46     (a)  A No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in
47this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, is not shall
48be qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
49rights or removal of disability.
50     (b)  A No person may not appear on the ballot for re-
51election as a senator, representative, county officer, or
52municipal officer if, by the end of the current term of office,
53the person will have served (or, but for resignation, would have
54served) in that office for twelve consecutive years. to any of
55the following offices:
56     (1)  Florida representative,
57     (2)  Florida senator,
58     (c)(3)  A person may not appear on the ballot for re-
59election as the Florida Lieutenant governor, or
60     (4)  any office of the Florida cabinet office,
61     (5)  U.S. Representative from Florida, or
62     (6)  U.S. Senator from Florida
63
64if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will
65have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that
66office for eight consecutive years.
67
ARTICLE XII
68
SCHEDULE
69     Implementation of amendments relating to the terms of
70certain elected officials.-
71     (a)  The amendments to Section 15 of Article III and
72Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of this section shall
73take effect upon approval by the electors.
74     (b)  During the organizational session following the 2010
75general election, the Legislature shall implement the amendment
76to subsection (a) of Section 15 of Article III by law. Under the
77implementing legislation, senators elected during the 2010
78general election shall be elected to terms of at least four
79years. The terms of senators having two years remaining to their
80terms on the date of the general election may be extended by two
81years.
82     (c)  Those representatives elected in odd-numbered
83districts in the 2010 general election shall be elected to terms
84of two years. Those representatives elected in even-numbered
85districts in the 2010 general election shall be elected to terms
86of four years.
87     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
88placed on the ballot:
89
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
90
ARTICLE III, SECTION 15
91
ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4
92
ARTICLE XII
93     TERMS OF STATE SENATORS, STATE REPRESENTATIVES, AND ELECTED
94COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL OFFICERS.-The State Constitution provides
95that State Senators are elected to terms of 4 years and State
96Representatives are elected to terms of 2 years. The State
97Constitution also generally limits State Senators and State
98Representatives to serving 8 consecutive years in office.
99However, the State Constitution does not limit the number of
100consecutive years in office that may be served by a county or
101municipal officer.
102     This amendment lengthens the terms of State Senators to 6
103years and the terms of State Representatives to 4 years. The
104amendment also generally limits State Senators, State
105Representatives, and elected county and municipal officers to 12
106consecutive years in office. However, the amendment does not
107change the length of the term of any elected county or municipal
108office.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.