Senate Bill sb2318

    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 2318

    By Senator Lee





    10-1488-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to succession to the office of

  3         Governor; amending s. 14.055, F.S.; providing

  4         for the Governor to appoint a successor in case

  5         of a vacancy in the office of Lieutenant

  6         Governor; conforming the order of succession to

  7         the office of Governor to change in Cabinet

  8         membership; providing an effective date.

  9  

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

11  

12         Section 1.  Section 14.055, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         14.055  Succession to office of Governor.--Upon vacancy

15  in the office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall

16  become Governor. Upon a vacancy in the office of Lieutenant

17  Governor, the Governor shall appoint a successor who shall

18  serve for the remainder of the term. However, if after such

19  appointment a vacancy occurs in the office of Governor with

20  more than 28 months remaining in the term, at the next

21  statewide general election the electors shall choose a

22  Governor and Lieutenant Governor to fill the remainder of the

23  term in the manner provided in Article IV, Section 5 of the

24  State Constitution. Upon vacancy in the office of Governor and

25  in the office of Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State

26  shall become Governor; or if the office of Secretary of State

27  be vacant, then the Attorney General shall become Governor; or

28  if the office of Attorney General be vacant, then the Chief

29  Financial Officer Comptroller shall become Governor; or if the

30  office of Chief Financial Officer Comptroller be vacant, then

31  the Treasurer shall become Governor; or if the office of

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






    Florida Senate - 2003                                  SB 2318
    10-1488-03




 1  Treasurer be vacant, then the Commissioner of Education shall

 2  become Governor; or if the office of Commissioner of Education

 3  be vacant, then the Commissioner of Agriculture shall become

 4  Governor. Except as otherwise provided in this section with

 5  respect to an appointed successor to the office of Lieutenant

 6  Governor, a successor under this section shall serve for the

 7  remainder of the term and shall receive all the rights,

 8  privileges and emoluments of the Governor.  In case a vacancy

 9  shall occur in the office of Governor and provision is not

10  made herein for filling such vacancy, then the Speaker of the

11  House and the President of the Senate shall convene the

12  Legislature by joint proclamation within 15 days for the

13  purpose of choosing a person to serve as Governor for the

14  remainder of the term.  A successor shall be elected by a

15  majority vote in a joint session of both houses.

16         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

17  law.

18  

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20                          SENATE SUMMARY

21    Provides for the Governor to appoint a successor when a
      vacancy occurs in the office of Lieutenant Governor, but
22    if a vacancy occurs in the office of Governor after a
      replacement Lieutenant Governor has been appointed and
23    there are more than 28 months remaining in the term, an
      election will be held for Governor and Lieutenant
24    Governor at the next general election. Conforms the order
      of succession to the office of Governor to the change in
25    Cabinet membership.

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