Florida Senate - 2012                                    SJR 190
       
       
       
       By Senator Bennett
       
       
       
       
       21-00298-12                                            2012190__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing amendments to Section 15
    3         of Article III and Section 4 of Article VI and the
    4         creation of a new section in Article XII of the State
    5         Constitution to revise the terms and term limits that
    6         apply to state senators and state representatives.
    7  
    8  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         That the following amendments to Section 15 of Article III
   11  and Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of a new section in
   12  Article XII of the State Constitution are agreed to and shall be
   13  submitted to the electors of this state for approval or
   14  rejection at the next general election or at an earlier special
   15  election specifically authorized by law for that purpose:
   16                             ARTICLE III                           
   17                             LEGISLATURE                           
   18         SECTION 15. Terms and qualifications of legislators.—
   19         (a) SENATORS. Senators shall be elected for staggered terms
   20  of six four years. The legislature must divide the senate
   21  districts as evenly as possible into three classes, those from
   22  odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of which are
   23  multiples of four and those from even-numbered districts in
   24  even-numbered years the numbers of which are not multiples of
   25  four; except, at the election next following a reapportionment,
   26  some senators shall be elected for terms of two years when
   27  necessary to maintain staggered terms.
   28         (b) REPRESENTATIVES. Members of the house of
   29  representatives shall be elected for terms of four two years,
   30  those from odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of
   31  which are multiples of four and those from even-numbered
   32  districts in even-numbered years the numbers of which are not
   33  multiples of four in each even-numbered year.
   34         (c) QUALIFICATIONS. Each legislator shall be at least
   35  twenty-one years of age and, an elector and resident of the
   36  district from which elected and shall have resided in the state
   37  for a period of two years prior to election.
   38         (d) ASSUMING OFFICE; VACANCIES. Members of the legislature
   39  shall take office upon election. Vacancies in legislative office
   40  shall be filled only by election as provided by law.
   41                             ARTICLE VI                            
   42                       SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS                      
   43         SECTION 4. Disqualifications.—
   44         (a) A No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in
   45  this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, is not shall
   46  be qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
   47  rights or removal of disability.
   48         (b) A No person may not appear on the ballot for re
   49  election as a senator or representative if, by the end of the
   50  current term of office, the person will have served (or, but for
   51  resignation, would have served) in that office for twelve
   52  consecutive years. to any of the following offices:
   53         (1) Florida representative,
   54         (2) Florida senator,
   55         (c)(3)A person may not appear on the ballot for re
   56  election to the office of Florida lieutenant governor or to,
   57         (4) any office of the Florida cabinet office,
   58         (5) U.S. Representative from Florida, or
   59         (6) U.S. Senator from Florida
   60  
   61  if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will
   62  have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that
   63  office for eight consecutive years.
   64                             ARTICLE XII                           
   65                              SCHEDULE                             
   66         Implementation of amendments relating to the terms of
   67  certain elected officials.—
   68         (a) The amendments to Section 15 of Article III and Section
   69  4 of Article VI and the creation of this section shall take
   70  effect upon approval by the electors.
   71         (b) During the organizational session following the 2012
   72  general election, the legislature shall implement the amendment
   73  to subsection (a) of Section 15 of Article III by law. Under the
   74  implementing legislation, senators elected during the 2012
   75  general election shall be elected to terms of at least four
   76  years. The terms of senators having two years remaining to their
   77  terms on the date of the general election may be extended by two
   78  years.
   79         (c) Those representatives elected in even-numbered
   80  districts in the 2012 general election shall be elected to terms
   81  of two years. Those representatives elected in odd-numbered
   82  districts in the 2012 general election shall be elected to terms
   83  of four years.
   84         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   85  placed on the ballot:
   86                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS                    
   87                       ARTICLE III, SECTION 15                     
   88                        ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4                      
   89                             ARTICLE XII                           
   90         TERMS OF STATE SENATORS AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES.—The
   91  State Constitution provides that state senators are elected to
   92  terms of 4 years and state representatives are elected to terms
   93  of 2 years. The State Constitution also generally limits state
   94  senators and state representatives to serving 8 consecutive
   95  years in office.
   96         This amendment increases the terms of state senators from 4
   97  to 6 years and the terms of state representatives from 2 to 4
   98  years. The amendment also generally limits state senators and
   99  state representatives to serving 12 consecutive years in office.