House Bill 0779c1

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000             CS/HJR 779

        By the Committee on Election Reform and Representatives
    Reddick, Chestnut and Ritchie





  1                      House Joint Resolution

  2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to

  3         Section 4 of Article VI of the State

  4         Constitution, relating to suffrage and

  5         elections; authorizing the Legislature to

  6         provide the conditions under which a convicted

  7         felon's right to register or vote may be

  8         restored.

  9

10  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

11

12         That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article VI

13  of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted

14  to the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the

15  next general election or at an earlier special election

16  specifically authorized by law for that purpose.

17         SECTION 4.  Disqualifications.--

18         (a)  No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in

19  this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, shall be

20  qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil

21  rights or removal of disability. No person convicted of a

22  felony shall be qualified to vote until the person's right to

23  register or vote has been restored, as provided by law. No

24  person adjudicated in this state to be mentally incompetent

25  shall be qualified to vote until removal of disability.

26         (b)  No person may appear on the ballot for re-election

27  to any of the following offices:

28         (1)  Florida representative,

29         (2)  Florida senator,

30         (3)  Florida Lieutenant governor,

31         (4)  any office of the Florida cabinet,

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000             CS/HJR 779

    168-379-00






  1         (5)  U.S. Representative from Florida, or

  2         (6)  U.S. Senator from Florida

  3

  4  if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will

  5  have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in

  6  that office for eight consecutive years.

  7         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be

  8  placed on the ballot:

  9                     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

10                      ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4

11         QUALIFICATIONS OF FELONS TO VOTE.--Proposing an

12  amendment to the State Constitution authorizing the

13  Legislature to provide the conditions under which a convicted

14  felon's right to register or vote may be restored by statute.

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  2