HJR 207

1
House Joint Resolution
2A joint resolution proposing amendments to Section 15 of
3Article III and Section 4 of Article VI and the creation
4of a new section in Article XII of the State Constitution
5to revise the terms and term limits that apply to state
6senators and state representatives.
7
8Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10     That the following amendments to Section 15 of Article III
11and Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of a new section in
12Article XII of the State Constitution are agreed to and shall be
13submitted to the electors of this state for approval or
14rejection at the next general election or at an earlier special
15election 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
20terms of six four years. The legislature must divide the senate
21districts as evenly as possible into three classes, those from
22odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of which are
23multiples of four and those from even-numbered districts in
24even-numbered years the numbers of which are not multiples of
25four; except, at the election next following a reapportionment,
26some senators shall be elected for terms of two years when
27necessary to maintain staggered terms.
28     (b)  REPRESENTATIVES.  Members of the house of
29representatives shall be elected for terms of four two years,
30those from odd-numbered districts in the years the numbers of
31which are multiples of four and those from even-numbered
32districts in even-numbered years the numbers of which are not
33multiples of four in each even-numbered year.
34     (c)  QUALIFICATIONS.  Each legislator shall be at least
35twenty-one years of age and, an elector and resident of the
36district from which elected and shall have resided in the state
37for a period of two years prior to election.
38     (d)  ASSUMING OFFICE; VACANCIES.  Members of the
39legislature shall take office upon election. Vacancies in
40legislative office shall be filled only by election as provided
41by law.
42
ARTICLE VI
43
SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS
44     SECTION 4.  Disqualifications.-
45     (a)  A No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in
46this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, is not shall
47be qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
48rights or removal of disability.
49     (b)  A No person may not appear on the ballot for re-
50election as a senator or representative if, by the end of the
51current term of office, the person will have served (or, but for
52resignation, would have served) in that office for twelve
53consecutive 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-
57election 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
62if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will
63have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that
64office for eight consecutive years.
65
ARTICLE XII
66
SCHEDULE
67     Implementation of amendments relating to the terms of
68certain elected officials.-
69     (a)  The amendments to Section 15 of Article III and
70Section 4 of Article VI and the creation of this section shall
71take effect upon approval by the electors.
72     (b)  During the organizational session following the 2012
73general election, the Legislature shall implement the amendment
74to subsection (a) of Section 15 of Article III by law. Under the
75implementing legislation, senators elected during the 2012
76general election shall be elected to terms of at least four
77years. The terms of senators having two years remaining to their
78terms on the date of the general election may be extended by two
79years.
80     (c)  Those representatives elected in even-numbered
81districts in the 2012 general election shall be elected to terms
82of two years. Those representatives elected in odd-numbered
83districts in the 2012 general election shall be elected to terms
84of four years.
85     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
86placed 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
92State Constitution provides that state senators are elected to
93terms of 4 years and state representatives are elected to terms
94of 2 years. The State Constitution also generally limits state
95senators and state representatives to serving 8 consecutive
96years in office.
97     This amendment increases the terms of state senators from 4
98to 6 years and the terms of state representatives from 2 to 4
99years. The amendment also generally limits state senators and
100state representatives to serving 12 consecutive years in office.


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