Florida Senate - 2013 SJR 512
By Senator Clemens
27-00538-13 2013512__
1 Senate Joint Resolution
2 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 3
3 of Article III and the creation of Section 34 of
4 Article XII of the State Constitution, relating to
5 sessions of the Legislature, to change the date of
6 convening and the length of regular sessions of the
7 Legislature and to remove the requirement that the
8 Legislature meet in organization sessions.
9
10 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 That the following amendment to Section 3 of Article III
13 and the creation of Section 34 of Article XII of the State
14 Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the
15 electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
16 general election or at an earlier special election specifically
17 authorized by law for that purpose:
18 ARTICLE III
19 LEGISLATURE
20 SECTION 3. Sessions of the legislature.—
21 (a) ORGANIZATION SESSIONS. On the fourteenth day following
22 each general election the legislature shall convene for the
23 exclusive purpose of organization and selection of officers.
24 (a)(b) REGULAR SESSIONS. A regular session of The
25 legislature shall convene in regular session on the fourteenth
26 day following each general election, and each house shall
27 immediately organize and select officers. Each session of the
28 legislature shall adjourn sine die by midnight on the first
29 Tuesday after the first Monday in November of the following
30 even-numbered year. on the first Tuesday after the first Monday
31 in March of each odd-numbered year, and on the first Tuesday
32 after the first Monday in March, or such other date as may be
33 fixed by law, of each even-numbered year.
34 (b)(c) SPECIAL SESSIONS.
35 (1) The governor, by proclamation stating the purpose, may
36 convene the legislature in special session during which only
37 such legislative business may be transacted as is within the
38 purview of the proclamation, or of a communication from the
39 governor, or is introduced by consent of two-thirds of the
40 membership of each house.
41 (2) A special session of the legislature may be convened as
42 provided by law.
43 (c)(d) LENGTH OF SPECIAL SESSIONS. A regular session of the
44 legislature shall not exceed sixty consecutive days, and A
45 special session shall not exceed twenty consecutive days, unless
46 extended beyond such limit by a three-fifths vote of each house.
47 During such an extension no new business may be taken up in
48 either house without the consent of two-thirds of its
49 membership.
50 (d)(e) ADJOURNMENT. Neither house shall adjourn for more
51 than seventy-two consecutive hours except pursuant to concurrent
52 resolution.
53 (e)(f) ADJOURNMENT BY GOVERNOR. If, during any regular or
54 special session, the two houses cannot agree upon a time for
55 adjournment, the governor may adjourn the session sine die or to
56 any date within the period authorized for such session; provided
57 that, at least twenty-four hours before adjourning the session,
58 and while neither house is in recess, each house shall be given
59 formal written notice of the governor’s intention to do so, and
60 agreement reached within that period by both houses on a time
61 for adjournment shall prevail.
62 ARTICLE XII
63 SCHEDULE
64 SECTION 34. Legislative sessions.—The amendment to Section
65 3 of Article III changing the date for convening regular
66 sessions of the legislature shall apply beginning with the
67 regular session convening in November 2016.
68 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
69 placed on the ballot:
70 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
71 ARTICLE III, SECTION 3
72 ARTICLE XII, Section 34
73 CONVENING OF REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.—Proposing an
74 amendment to the State Constitution to change the date on which
75 regular sessions of the Legislature convene, from the first
76 Tuesday after the first Monday in March to the 14th day
77 following each general election. The amendment will eliminate
78 the requirement that the length of regular sessions be limited
79 to 60 consecutive days. This amendment also removes the
80 requirement that the Legislature convene for organization
81 sessions, which currently take place on the 14th day following
82 each general election.