REPORT TITLE:
Term Limits


DESCRIPTION:
Limits state senators to 2 consecutive 4 year terms and state
representatives to 4 consecutive 2 year terms beginning with
terms commencing on the day of the general election of 1999,
provided that a person becomes eligible to serve in the same
position again if the person has been out of that office for one
term.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            1322        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE III, SECTION 4, OF THE HAWAII
   CONSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS.
 


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

 1      SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to propose an
 
 2 amendment to Article III, section 4, of the Constitution of the
 
 3 State of Hawaii to limit state senators to two consecutive four-
 
 4 year terms and state representatives to four consecutive two-year
 
 5 terms.
 
 6      SECTION 2.  Article III, section 4, of the Constitution of
 
 7 the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:
 
 8                    "ELECTION OF MEMBERS; TERM
 
 9 
 
10      Section 4.  Each member of the legislature shall be elected
 
11 at an election.  If more than one candidate has been nominated
 
12 for election to a seat in the legislature, the member occupying
 
13 that seat shall be elected at a general election.  If a candidate
 
14 nominated for a seat at a primary election is unopposed for that
 
15 seat at the general election, the candidate shall be deemed
 
16 elected at the primary election.  The term of office of a member
 
17 of the house of representatives shall be two years [and the];
 
18 provided that, beginning with terms commencing on the day of the
 
19 general election of 2000, no member shall serve for more than
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 four consecutive two-year terms, and provided further that if
 
 2 there is a break in service between terms of at least one term of 
 
 3 two years, the service prior to the break shall not be counted
 
 4 and the tallying of the term limitation shall commence from the
 
 5 date of the new term.  The term of office of a member of the
 
 6 senate shall be four years[.]; provided that, beginning with
 
 7 terms commencing on the day of the general election of 1999, no
 
 8 member shall serve for more than two consecutive terms, and
 
 9 provided further that if there is a break in service between
 
10 terms of at least one term of four years, the service prior to
 
11 the break shall not be counted and the tallying of the term
 
12 limitation shall commence from the date of the new term.
 
13      For purposes of computing the term limits in this section,
 
14 the following shall be considered to have served a full term of
 
15 office:
 
16      (1)  Any member of the senate whose term does not expire at
 
17 the 1999 general election but who has some time remaining in the
 
18 current term of office; and
 
19      (2)  Any person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in
 
20 the legislature and who serves at least one-half of a term of
 
21 office.
 
22      The term of a member of the legislature shall begin on the
 
23 day of the general election at which elected or if elected at a
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 primary election, on the day of the general election immediately
 
 2 following the primary election at which elected.  For a member of
 
 3 the house of representatives, the terms shall end on the day of
 
 4 the general election immediately following the day the member's
 
 5 term commences.  For a member of the senate, the term shall end
 
 6 on the day of the second general election immediately following
 
 7 the day the member's term commences."
 
 8      SECTION 3.  The question to be printed on the ballot shall
 
 9 be as follows:
 
10      "Shall state senators be limited to serving two consecutive
 
11 four year terms, beginning with terms commencing on the day of
 
12 the general election of 2000, and shall state representatives be
 
13 limited to serving four consecutive two year terms, beginning
 
14 with terms commencing on the day of the general election of 1999,
 
15 provided that a person will become eligible to serve in the same
 
16 position if the person has been out of that office for one or
 
17 more terms?"
 
18      SECTION 4.  Constitutional material to be repealed is
 
19 bracketed.  New constitutional material is underscored.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 1 
 
 2      SECTION 5.  This amendment shall take effect upon compliance
 
 3 with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
 
 4 Hawaii.
 
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 6                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________
 
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