Bill Text: HI SB668 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Legislative Sessions; Length in Odd-Numbered Years.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-05-11 - Carried over to 2010 Regular Session. [SB668 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2010-SB668-Introduced.html
Report Title:
Legislative Sessions; Length in Odd-Numbered Years.
Description:
Proposes a constitutional amendment to provide for a longer session of seventy days in odd-numbered years.
THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
668 |
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE III, SECTION 10, OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION, TO LENGTHEN THE duration OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN ODD-NUMBERED YEARS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that it is necessary to lengthen the duration of the legislative session in odd-numbered years to allow more time for adequate consideration of legislation introduced for the new legislative session.
The purpose of this Act is to propose an amendment to article III, section 10, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to provide for a seventy-day regular session in odd‑numbered years.
SECTION 2. Article 3, section 10, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:
"SESSIONS
Section 10. The legislature shall convene annually in regular session at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on the third Wednesday in January.
At the written request of two-thirds of the members to which each house is entitled, the presiding officers of both houses shall convene the legislature in special session. At the written request of two-thirds of the members of the senate, the president of the senate shall convene the senate in special session for the purpose of carrying out its responsibility established by Section 3 of Article VI. The governor may convene both houses or the senate alone in special session.
Regular sessions shall be limited to a period
of sixty days[,] in even-numbered years and seventy days in
odd-numbered years, and special sessions shall be limited to a period of
thirty days. Any session may be extended a total of not more than fifteen
days. Such extension shall be granted by the presiding officers of both houses
at the written request of two-thirds of the members to which each house is
entitled or may be granted by the governor.
Each regular session shall be recessed for not less than five days at some period between the twentieth and fortieth days of the regular session. The legislature shall determine the dates of the mandatory recess by concurrent resolution. Any session may be recessed by concurrent resolution adopted by a majority of the members to which each house is entitled. Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, the days in mandatory recess and any days in recess pursuant to a concurrent resolution shall be excluded in computing the number of days of any session.
All sessions shall be held in the capital of the State. In case the capital shall be unsafe, the governor may direct that any session be held at some other place."
SECTION 3. The question to be printed on the ballot shall be as follows:
"Shall the length of the regular legislative session in odd-numbered years be changed from sixty days to seventy days?"
SECTION 4. Constitutional material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. 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: |
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