HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 1
(By Delegate Kump)
[Introduced February 13, 2013; referred to
the Committee on Constitutional Revision then the Judiciary.]
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West
Virginia, amending sections eighteen and twenty-two, article
VI thereof, relating to starting the legislative session on
the second Wednesday of March of each year; numbering and
designating such proposed amendment; and providing a
summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed
amendment.
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of
the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:
That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment
to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to
the voters of the state at the next general election to be held in
the year 2014, which proposed amendment is that sections eighteen
and twenty-two, article VI thereof be amended, to read as follows:
ARTICLE VI. THE LEGISLATURE.
§18. Time and place of assembly of Legislature.
The Legislature shall assemble annually at the seat of
government, and not oftener unless convened by the Governor.
Regular sessions of the Legislature shall commence on the second
Wednesday of January March of each year. Upon the convening of the
Legislature in each odd-numbered year, each house shall proceed to
organize by the election of its officers for two-year terms and
both houses shall then in joint assembly open and publish the
election returns delivered to the Legislature as prescribed by
other provisions of this Constitution and by general law. When all
of these matters have been completed in the year one thousand nine
hundred seventy-three and every fourth year thereafter, the
Legislature shall adjourn until the second Wednesday of February
following. Notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty-one of
this article and any other provisions of this Constitution, on and
after the effective date hereof, there shall be submitted by the
Governor to the Legislature, on the second Wednesday of February in
the year one thousand nine hundred seventy-three and every fourth
year thereafter, and on the second Wednesday of January of all
other years the second Wednesday of March each year, unless a later
time in any year be fixed by the Legislature, a budget for the next
ensuing fiscal year and a bill for the proposed appropriations of
such budget.
§22. Length of legislative session.
The regular session of the Legislature held in the year one
thousand nine hundred seventy-three and every fourth year
thereafter shall in addition to the meeting days preceding the
adjournment provided for in section eighteen of this article not
exceed sixty calendar days computed from and including the second
Wednesday of February, and the regular session held in all other
years shall not exceed sixty calendar days computed from and
including the second Wednesday of January March of every year. Any
regular session may be extended by a concurrent resolution adopted
by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house
determined by yeas and nays and entered on the journals.
Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of
article eleven, chapter three of the Code of West Virginia, 1931,
as amended, the proposed amendment is hereby numbered "Amendment 1"
and designated as the "The March Legislative Session Amendment" and
the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows:
"The Legislature will convene for the regular legislative session
on the second Wednesday of March of every year."
NOTE: The purpose of this joint resolution is to move the
start of the regular legislative session to the second Wednesday of
March of every year.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.
