HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1978

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

Relating to Vacancies in the House of Representatives.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  Section 17-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§17-4  State representatives.  (a)  Whenever any vacancy in the membership of the state house of representatives occurs, [the governor] house members of the same political party as the prior incumbent shall, by majority vote of the respective members in the house, make an appointment within sixty calendar days following the first day of vacancy to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term by selecting a person from a list of three prospective appointees submitted by the same political party as the prior incumbent.  The appointee shall be, at the time of appointment, and shall have been, for at least six months immediately prior to the appointment, a member of the political party.  The appointee shall, at the time of appointment, be a resident of the same state representative district as the prior incumbent.  The political party shall submit the list of prospective appointees to the [governor] house of representatives within thirty calendar days following the first day of vacancy.

     (b)  If the prior incumbent was not a member of any political party, the [governor,] house of representatives, within sixty calendar days following the first day of vacancy, shall appoint a person who is at the time of appointment a resident of the same state representative district as the prior incumbent and is not and has not been, for at least six months immediately prior to the appointment, a member of any political party."

     SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

 

 

Report Title:

House of Representatives; Vacancies; Appointments

 

Description:

Establishes that House of Representative members of the same political party as the prior incumbent, not the Governor, shall make appointments for vacancies in the House of Representatives.

 

 

 

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