Bill Text: NJ S1471 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Reduces period of time that member of Legislature may be absent, without excuse, before member's seat is deemed vacant.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-10-15 - Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading [S1471 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S1471-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator THOMAS H. KEAN, JR.
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Reduces period of time that member of Legislature may be absent, without excuse, before member's seat is deemed vacant.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning vacancies in the Legislature resulting from unexcused absence and amending R.S.19:3-25.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.19:3-25 is amended to read as follows:
19:3-25. When a person shall remove or be removed from office because his nomination or election thereto has been declared null and void, such office shall be deemed to be vacant.
When an equal number of votes shall have been given to two or more persons to fill any office for which they shall by law be qualified, the office shall be deemed to be vacant.
When a person who shall have been elected or appointed to any office as mentioned in section 19:3-5 of this title shall, during the term for which he shall have been elected, or appointed, be elected or appointed to another of such offices, and shall accept the same, such acceptance shall be deemed to make vacant the office to which he shall have been previously elected or appointed; and he shall not be permitted to qualify or take such new office until he shall have formally relinquished the office which he may have been holding.
When a person shall, at an election, be elected to two or more of such offices, he shall accept but one of the same, and the other or others shall be deemed vacant.
When a person who shall be elected a member of the senate or general assembly of this state shall neglect or refuse for [ten] five days next after the commencement of the session of such house to take his seat therein, or to send to such house a satisfactory excuse, or shall during any session of such house be absent unremittingly for [ten] five days, unless expressly excused by such house from attendance thereon, or shall remove from and cease to be a resident of the state or of the county for which he may have been elected, his office shall be deemed vacant.
(cf: R.S.19:3-25)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill reduces the period of time from ten days to five days that a member of the Legislature may be absent, without excuse, before the member's seat is deemed vacant. This change in the law will help to ensure that the citizens of this State do not have substantial disruptions in their representation in the Legislature. It will also deter members from leaving the jurisdiction, as has occurred in certain other states, or otherwise deliberately failing to attend sessions, in order to avoid votes on certain issues.
