HJR 21

1	House 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
20	terms 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
39	legislature shall take office upon election. Vacancies in
40	legislative office shall be filled only by election as provided
41	by law.
42	ARTICLE VI
43	SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS
44	SECTION 4.  Disqualifications.-
45	(a)  A No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in
46	this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, is not shall
47	be qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
48	rights or removal of disability.
49	(b)  A No person may not appear on the ballot for re-
50	election as a senator or representative if, by the end of the
51	current term of office, the person will have served (or, but for
52	resignation, would have served) in that office for twelve
53	consecutive years. to any of the following offices:
54	(1)  Florida representative,
55	(2)  Florida senator,
56	(c)(3)  A person may not appear on the ballot for re-
57	election to the office of Florida lieutenant governor or to,
58	(4)  any office of the Florida cabinet office,
59	(5)  U.S. Representative from Florida, or
60	(6)  U.S. Senator from Florida
61
62	if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will
63	have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that
64	office for eight consecutive years.
65	ARTICLE XII
66	SCHEDULE
67	Implementation of amendments relating to the terms of
68	certain elected officials.-
69	(a)  The amendments to Section 15 of Article III and
70	Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of this section shall
71	take effect upon approval by the electors.
72	(b)  During the organizational session following the 2012
73	general election, the legislature shall implement the amendment
74	to subsection (a) of Section 15 of Article III by law. Under the
75	implementing legislation, senators elected during the 2012
76	general election shall be elected to terms of at least four
77	years. The terms of senators having two years remaining to their
78	terms on the date of the general election may be extended by two
79	years.
80	(c)  Those representatives elected in even-numbered
81	districts in the 2012 general election shall be elected to terms
82	of two years. Those representatives elected in odd-numbered
83	districts in the 2012 general election shall be elected to terms
84	of four years.
85	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
86	placed on the ballot:
87	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
88	ARTICLE III, SECTION 15
89	ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4
90	ARTICLE XII
91	TERMS OF STATE SENATORS AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES.-The
92	State Constitution provides that state senators are elected to
93	terms of 4 years and state representatives are elected to terms
94	of 2 years. The State Constitution also generally limits state
95	senators and state representatives to serving 8 consecutive
96	years in office.
97	This amendment increases the terms of state senators from 4
98	to 6 years and the terms of state representatives from 2 to 4
99	years. The amendment also generally limits state senators and
100	state representatives to serving 12 consecutive years in office.

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