HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	934
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

proposing an amendment to the hawaii constitution to impose a one year district residency requirement on candidates for state legislative office.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to propose an amendment to article III, section 6, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to require any candidate for state legislative office to be a resident of the district that the candidate will represent for at least one year immediately preceding the general or special election or appointment to the office.

     SECTION 2.  Article III, section 6, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS

     Section 6.  No person shall be eligible to serve as a member of the senate unless the person has been a resident of the State for not less than three years, has been a resident of the district that the person is to represent for at least one year immediately preceding the applicable general or special election or appointment and proves compliance with residency requirements as provided by law, has attained the age of majority and is, prior to filing nomination papers and thereafter continues to be, a qualified voter of the senatorial district from which the person seeks to be elected; except that in the year of the first general election following reapportionment, but prior to the primary election, an incumbent senator may move to a new district without being disqualified from completing the remainder of the incumbent senator's term.  No person shall be eligible to serve as a member of the house of representatives unless the person has been a resident of the State for not less than three years, has been a resident of the district that the person is to represent for at least one year immediately preceding the applicable general or special election or appointment and proves compliance with residency requirements as provided by law, has attained the age of majority and is, prior to filing nomination papers and thereafter continues to be, a qualified voter of the representative district from which the person seeks to be elected; except that in the year of the first general election following reapportionment, but prior to the primary election, an incumbent representative may move to a new district without being disqualified from completing the remainder of the incumbent representative's term."

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

"Shall the Constitution of the State of Hawaii be amended to require a candidate for the state legislature to be a resident of the district that the candidate is to represent for at least one year immediately preceding the general election, special election, or appointment and to prove residency as provided by law?"

     SECTION 4.  New constitutional material is underscored.

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

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Residency Requirement; Candidates to the State Legislature

 

Description:

Proposes a constitutional amendment to require any candidate for the state legislature to have been a resident of the district from which the candidate is to be elected or appointed for one year immediately preceding the general or special election or appointment.  Requires the candidate to prove residency pursuant to law.

 

 

 

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