Florida Senate - 2017                                   SJR 1266
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       30-01556-17                                           20171266__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 4
    3         of Article VI of the State Constitution to
    4         automatically restore the voting rights of convicted
    5         felons after a specified time.
    6          
    7  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    8  
    9         That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article VI of
   10  the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
   11  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   12  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   13  authorized by law for that purpose:
   14                             ARTICLE VI                            
   15                       SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS                      
   16         SECTION 4. Disqualifications.—
   17         (a) No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in this
   18  or any other state to be mentally incompetent, shall be
   19  qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
   20  rights or removal of disability. However, a person convicted of
   21  a felony shall be automatically qualified to vote three years
   22  after the person completes his or her sentence.
   23         (b) No person may appear on the ballot for re-election to
   24  any of the following offices:
   25         (1) Florida representative,
   26         (2) Florida senator,
   27         (3) Florida lieutenant governor,
   28         (4) any office of the Florida cabinet,
   29         (5) U.S. Representative from Florida, or
   30         (6) U.S. Senator from Florida
   31  
   32  if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will
   33  have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that
   34  office for eight consecutive years.
   35  
   36         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   37  placed on the ballot:
   38                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   39                        ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4                      
   40         AUTOMATIC RESTORATION OF FELONS’ VOTING RIGHTS.—Proposing
   41  an amendment to the State Constitution to automatically restore
   42  the voting rights of a person convicted of a felony 3 years
   43  after the person completes his or her sentence.