HJR 495

1	House Joint Resolution
2	A joint resolution proposing amendments to Section 15 of
3	Article III and Section 4 of Article VI and the creation
4	of a new section in Article XII of the State Constitution
5	to revise the term limits that apply to State Senators and
6	State Representatives and to impose term limits on elected
7	county and municipal officers.
8
9	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11	That the following amendments to Section 15 of Article III
12	and Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of a new Section in
13	Article XII of the State Constitution are agreed to and shall be
14	submitted to the electors of this state for approval or
15	rejection at the next general election or at an earlier special
16	election specifically authorized by law for that purpose:
17	ARTICLE III
18	LEGISLATURE
19	SECTION 15. Terms and qualifications of legislators.-
20	(a) SENATORS. Senators shall be elected for staggered
21	terms of six four years. The legislature must divide the senate
22	districts as evenly as possible into three classes, those from
23	odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of which are
24	multiples of four and those from even-numbered districts in
25	even-numbered years the numbers of which are not multiples of
26	four; except, at the election next following a reapportionment,
27	some senators shall be elected for terms of two years when
28	necessary to maintain staggered terms.
29	(b) REPRESENTATIVES. Members of the house of
30	representatives shall be elected for terms of four two years,
31	those from odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of
32	which are multiples of four and those from even-numbered
33	districts in even-numbered years the numbers of which are not
34	multiples of four in each even-numbered year.
35	(c) QUALIFICATIONS. Each legislator shall be at least
36	twenty-one years of age, an elector and resident of the district
37	from which elected and shall have resided in the state for a
38	period of two years prior to election.
39	(d) ASSUMING OFFICE; VACANCIES. Members of the
40	legislature shall take office upon election. Vacancies in
41	legislative office shall be filled only by election as provided
42	by law.
43	ARTICLE VI
44	SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS
45	SECTION 4. Disqualifications.-
46	(a) A No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in
47	this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, is not shall
48	be qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
49	rights or removal of disability.
50	(b) A No person may not appear on the ballot for re-
51	election as a senator, representative, county officer, or
52	municipal officer if, by the end of the current term of office,
53	the person will have served (or, but for resignation, would have
54	served) in that office for twelve consecutive years. to any of
55	the following offices:
56	(1) Florida representative,
57	(2) Florida senator,
58	(c)(3) A person may not appear on the ballot for re-
59	election as the Florida Lieutenant governor, or
60	(4) any office of the Florida cabinet office,
61	(5) U.S. Representative from Florida, or
62	(6) U.S. Senator from Florida
63
64	if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will
65	have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that
66	office for eight consecutive years.
67	ARTICLE XII
68	SCHEDULE
69	Implementation of amendments relating to the terms of
70	certain elected officials.-
71	(a) The amendments to Section 15 of Article III and
72	Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of this section shall
73	take effect upon approval by the electors.
74	(b) During the organizational session following the 2010
75	general election, the Legislature shall implement the amendment
76	to subsection (a) of Section 15 of Article III by law. Under the
77	implementing legislation, senators elected during the 2010
78	general election shall be elected to terms of at least four
79	years. The terms of senators having two years remaining to their
80	terms on the date of the general election may be extended by two
81	years.
82	(c) Those representatives elected in odd-numbered
83	districts in the 2010 general election shall be elected to terms
84	of two years. Those representatives elected in even-numbered
85	districts in the 2010 general election shall be elected to terms
86	of four years.
87	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
88	placed on the ballot:
89	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
90	ARTICLE III, SECTION 15
91	ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4
92	ARTICLE XII
93	TERMS OF STATE SENATORS, STATE REPRESENTATIVES, AND ELECTED
94	COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL OFFICERS.-The State Constitution provides
95	that State Senators are elected to terms of 4 years and State
96	Representatives are elected to terms of 2 years. The State
97	Constitution also generally limits State Senators and State
98	Representatives to serving 8 consecutive years in office.
99	However, the State Constitution does not limit the number of
100	consecutive years in office that may be served by a county or
101	municipal officer.
102	This amendment lengthens the terms of State Senators to 6
103	years and the terms of State Representatives to 4 years. The
104	amendment also generally limits State Senators, State
105	Representatives, and elected county and municipal officers to 12
106	consecutive years in office. However, the amendment does not
107	change the length of the term of any elected county or municipal
108	office.

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