Bill Text: FL S0598 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Term Limits [GPSC]

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Ethics and Elections [S0598 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S0598-Introduced.html

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Florida Senate - 2010                                    SJR 598 
 
By Senator Bennett 
21-00605-10                                            2010598__ 
1                       Senate Joint Resolution 
2         A joint resolution proposing amendments to Section 15 
3         of Article III and Section 4 of Article VI and the 
4         creation of a new section in Article XII of the State 
5         Constitution to revise the term limits that apply to 
6         State Senators and State Representatives and to impose 
7         term limits on elected 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 terms 
21  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 legislature 
40  shall take office upon election. Vacancies in legislative office 
41  shall be filled only by election as provided by law. 
42                             ARTICLE VI 
43                       SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS 
44         SECTION 4. Disqualifications.— 
45         (a) A No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in 
46  this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, is not shall 
47  be qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil 
48  rights or removal of disability. 
49         (b) A No person may not appear on the ballot for re 
50  election as a senator, representative, county officer, or 
51  municipal officer if, by the end of the current term of office, 
52  the person will have served (or, but for resignation, would have 
53  served) in that office for twelve consecutive years. to any of 
54  the following offices: 
55         (1) Florida representative, 
56         (2) Florida senator, 
57         (c)(3) A person may not appear on the ballot for re 
58  election as the Florida Lieutenant governor, or 
59         (4) any office of the Florida cabinet office, 
60         (5) U.S. Representative from Florida, or 
61         (6) U.S. Senator from Florida 
62 
63  if, by the end of the current term of office, the person will 
64  have served (or, but for resignation, would have served) in that 
65  office for eight consecutive years. 
66                             ARTICLE XII 
67                              SCHEDULE 
68         Implementation of amendments relating to the terms of 
69  certain elected officials.— 
70         (a) The amendments to Section 15 of Article III and Section 
71  4 of Article VI and the creation of this section shall take 
72  effect upon approval by the electors. 
73         (b) During the organizational session following the 2010 
74  general election, the Legislature shall implement the amendment 
75  to subsection (a) of Section 15 of Article III by law. Under the 
76  implementing legislation, senators elected during the 2010 
77  general election shall be elected to terms of at least four 
78  years. The terms of senators having two years remaining to their 
79  terms on the date of the general election may be extended by two 
80  years. 
81         (c) Those representatives elected in odd-numbered districts 
82  in the 2010 general election shall be elected to terms of two 
83  years. Those representatives elected in even-numbered districts 
84  in the 2010 general election shall be elected to terms of four 
85  years. 
86         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 
87  placed on the ballot: 
88                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 
89                       ARTICLE III, SECTION 15 
90                        ARICLE VI, SECTION 4 
91                             ARTICLE XII 
92         TERMS OF STATE SENATORS, STATE REPRESENTATIVES, AND ELECTED 
93  COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL OFFICERS.—The State Constitution provides 
94  that State Senators are elected to terms of 4 years and State 
95  Representatives are elected to terms of 2 years. The State 
96  Constitution also generally limits State Senators and State 
97  Representatives to serving 8 consecutive years in office. 
98  However, the State Constitution does not limit the number of 
99  consecutive years in office that may be served by a county or 
100  municipal officer. 
101         This amendment lengthens the terms of State Senators to 6 
102  years and the terms of State Representatives to 4 years. The 
103  amendment also generally limits State Senators, State 
104  Representatives, and elected county and municipal officers to 12 
105  consecutive years in office. However, the amendment does not 
106  change the length of the term of any elected county or municipal 
107  office.