Bill Text: HI HB2694 | 2016 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii House Bill 2694 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Reapportionment Commission; Selection of Members; Political Parties (ConAm)

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-03-10 - Referred to JDL, WAM. [HB2694 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2016-HB2694-Amended.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2694
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE IV, SECTION 2, OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO ADDRESS THE SELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE REAPPORTIONMENT COMMISSION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to ensure the participation of all political parties in the reapportionment process by proposing an amendment to article IV, section 2, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to provide that if there are no members belonging to the minority party or parties in a house of the legislature, the members belonging to the same minority party or parties in the other house of the legislature shall nominate persons to serve on the reapportionment commission.

SECTION 2. Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"REAPPORTIONMENT COMMISSION

Section 2. A reapportionment commission shall be constituted on or before May 1 of each reapportionment year and whenever reapportionment is required by court order. The commission shall consist of nine members. The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall each select two members. Members of each house belonging to the party or parties different from that of the president or the speaker shall designate one of their number for each house and the two so designated shall each select two members of the commission. If no member of the house of representatives belongs to a party different from that of the speaker, then the members of the senate belonging to a party different from that of the speaker shall nominate six persons to the speaker. The speaker shall then select two members of the commission from the six nominees. If no member of the senate belongs to a party different from that of the president, then the members of the house of representatives belonging to a party different from that of the president shall nominate six persons to the president. The president shall then select two members of the commission from the six nominees. The eight members so selected, promptly after selection, shall be certified by the selecting authorities to the chief election officer and within thirty days thereafter, shall select, by a vote of six members, and promptly certify to the chief election officer the ninth member who shall serve as chairperson of the commission.

Each of the four officials designated above as selecting authorities for the eight members of the commission, at the time of the commission selections, shall also select one person from each basic island unit to serve on an apportionment advisory council for that island unit. The councils shall remain in existence during the life of the commission and each shall serve in an advisory capacity to the commission for matters affecting its island unit.

A vacancy in the commission or a council shall be filled by the initial selecting authority within fifteen days after the vacancy occurs. Commission and council positions and vacancies not filled within the times specified shall be filled promptly thereafter by the supreme court.

The commission shall act by majority vote of its membership and shall establish its own procedures, except as may be provided by law.

Not more than one hundred fifty days from the date on which its members are certified, the commission shall file with the chief election officer a reapportionment plan for the state legislature and a reapportionment plan for the United States congressional districts which shall become law after publication as provided by law. Members of the commission shall hold office until each reapportionment plan becomes effective or until such time as may be provided by law.

No member of the reapportionment commission or an apportionment advisory council shall be eligible to become a candidate for election to either house of the legislature or to the United States House of Representatives in either of the first two elections under any such reapportionment plan.

Commission and apportionment advisory council members shall be compensated and reimbursed for their necessary expenses as provided by law.

The chief election officer shall be secretary of the commission without vote and, under the direction of the commission, shall furnish all necessary technical services. The legislature shall appropriate funds to enable the commission to carry out its duties."

SECTION 3. The question to be printed on the ballot shall be as follows:

"To meet the constitutional requirement of equal representation of all political parties on the reapportionment commission, if there are no members belonging to the minority party or parties in a house of the legislature, shall the members belonging to the same minority party or parties in the other house of the legislature nominate persons to serve on the commission?"

SECTION 4. New constitutional material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This amendment shall take effect on July 1, 2030, and upon compliance with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Reapportionment Commission; Selection of Members; Political Parties

Description:

Ensures participation of all political parties on the Reapportionment Commission by providing that if there are no members belonging to the minority party or parties in a house of the legislature, the members belonging to the same minority party or parties in the other house of the legislature shall nominate persons to serve on the Commission. (HB2694 HD1)

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