REPORT TITLE: 
Term limits
DESCRIPTION:
Limits state senators to 3 consecutive 4 year terms and state
representatives to 6 consecutive 2 year terms beginning with
terms commencing on the day of the general election of 1994,
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.

 
HB HMIA 99-305
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.924        
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                     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 three consecutive
 
 4 four-year terms and state representatives to six consecutive two-
 
 5 year terms.
 
 6      SECTION 2. Article III, section 4, of the Constitution of
 
 7 the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:
 
 8 
 
 9                    "ELECTION OF MEMBERS; TERM
 
10 
 
11      Section 4.  Each member of the legislature shall be elected
 
12 at an election.  If more than one candidate has been nominated
 
13 for election to a seat in the legislature, the member occupying
 
14 that seat shall be elected at a general election.  If a candidate
 
15 nominated for a seat at a primary election is unopposed for that
 
16 seat at the general election, the candidate shall be deemed
 
17 elected at the primary election.  The term of office of a member
 
18 of the house of representatives shall be two years [and the];
 
19 provided that, beginning with terms commencing on the day of the
 

HB HMIA 99-305
Page 2                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.924        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 general election of 2000, no member shall serve for more than six
 
 2 consecutive two-year terms, and provided further that if there is
 
 3 a break in service between terms of at least one term of two
 
 4 years, the service prior to the break shall not be counted and 
 
 5 the tallying of the term limitation shall commence from the date
 
 6 of the new term.  The term of office of a member of the senate
 
 7 shall be four years[.];  provided that, beginning with terms
 
 8 commencing on the day of the general election of 2000, no member
 
 9 shall serve for more than three consecutive terms, and provided
 
10 further that if there is a break in service between terms of at
 
11 least one term of four years, the service prior to the break
 
12 shall not be counted and the tallying of the term limitation
 
13 shall commence from the date of the new term.  
 
14      For purposes of computing the term limits in this section,
 
15 the following shall be considered to have served a full term of
 
16 office:
 
17      (1)  Any member of the senate whose term does not expire at
 
18 the 1998 general election but who has two years remaining in the
 
19 current term of office; and
 
20      (2)  Any person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in
 
21 the legislature and who serves at least one-half of a term of
 
22 office.
 
23      The term of a member of the legislature shall begin on the
 

 
HB HMIA 99-305
Page 3                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.924        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 day of the general election at which elected or if elected at a
 
 2 primary election, on the day of the general election immediately
 
 3 following the primary election at which elected.  For a member of
 
 4 the house of representatives, the terms shall end on the day of
 
 5 the general election immediately following the day the member's
 
 6 term commences.  For a member of the senate, the term shall end
 
 7 on the day of the second general election immediately following
 
 8 the day the member's term commences."
 
 9      SECTION 3.  The question to be printed on the ballot shall
 
10 be as follows:
 
11      "Shall state senators be limited to serving three
 
12 consecutive four year terms and shall state representatives be
 
13 limited to serving six consecutive two year terms, beginning with
 
14 terms commencing on the day of the general election of 2000,
 
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.
 
20      SECTION 5.  This amendment shall take effect upon compliance
 
21 with Article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
 
22 Hawaii.  
 
23 
 

 
HB HMIA 99-305
Page 4                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.924        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 
 
 2                         INTRODUCED BY:___________________________
 

 
HB HMIA 99-305