Proposes a constitutional amendment limiting the terms of state representatives to 4 consecutive 2-year terms.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to propose an amendment to article III, section 4, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to limit state representatives to four consecutive two-year terms.

SECTION 2. Article III, section 4, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"ELECTION OF MEMBERS; TERM

Section 4. Each member of the legislature shall be elected at an election. If more than one candidate has been nominated for election to a seat in the legislature, the member occupying that seat shall be elected at a general election. If a candidate nominated for a seat at a primary election is unopposed for that seat at the general election, the candidate shall be deemed elected at the primary election. The term of office of a member of the house of representatives shall be two years [and the]; provided that, beginning with terms commencing on the day of the general election of 2002, no member shall serve for more than four consecutive two-year terms, and provided further that if there is a break in service between terms of at least one term of two years, the service prior to the break shall not be counted and the tallying of the term limitation shall commence from the date of the new term. The term of office of a member of the senate shall be four years.

For purposes of computing the term limits in this section, any person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in the legislature and who serves at least one-half of a term of office shall be considered to have served a full term of office.

The term of a member of the legislature shall begin on the day of the general election at which elected or if elected at a primary election, on the day of the general election immediately following the primary election at which elected. For a member of the house of representatives, the terms shall end on the day of the general election immediately following the day the member's term commences. For a member of the senate, the term shall end on the day of the second general election immediately following the day the member's term commences."

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

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory 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.