Florida Senate - 2021                                   SJR 1968
       
       
        
       By Senator Thurston
       
       
       
       
       
       33-00781-21                                           20211968__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section
    3         15 of Article III of the State Constitution to require
    4         a legislator to be an elector and resident of the
    5         district in which he or she is seeking election at the
    6         time of qualifying for nomination or election to
    7         office.
    8          
    9  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         That the following amendment to Section 15 of Article III
   12  of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
   13  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   14  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   15  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 terms of four
   20  years, those from odd-numbered districts in the years the
   21  numbers of which are multiples of four and those from even
   22  numbered districts in even-numbered years the numbers of which
   23  are not multiples of four; except, at the election next
   24  following a reapportionment, some senators shall be elected for
   25  terms of two years when necessary to maintain staggered terms.
   26         (b) REPRESENTATIVES. Members of the house of
   27  representatives shall be elected for terms of two years in each
   28  even-numbered year.
   29         (c) QUALIFICATIONS. Each legislator shall be at least
   30  twenty-one years of age, shall be an elector and resident of the
   31  district in which he or she is seeking election at the time of
   32  qualifying for nomination or election to office, from which
   33  elected and shall have resided in the state for a period of two
   34  years prior to election.
   35         (d) ASSUMING OFFICE; VACANCIES. Members of the legislature
   36  shall take office upon election. Vacancies in legislative office
   37  shall be filled only by election as provided by law.
   38         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   39  placed on the ballot:
   40                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   41                       ARTICLE III, SECTION 15                     
   42         QUALIFICATIONS OF LEGISLATORS.—Proposing an amendment to
   43  the State Constitution to require that a legislator be an
   44  elector and resident of the district in which he or she is
   45  seeking election at the time of qualifying for nomination or
   46  election to office, rather than upon election to such office.