THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1060

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

proposing an amendment to the hawaii constitution regArding the convening of REGULAR legislative sessionS in a presidential inauguration year.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to propose an amendment to Article III, section 10, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to ensure that the annual convening of the legislature does not conflict with the inauguration of the President of the United States.

     SECTION 2.  Article III, section 10, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"SESSIONS

     Section 10.  The legislature shall convene annually in regular session at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on the third Wednesday in January[.]; provided that, in any year in which the inauguration of the President of the United States falls on any day of the week that includes the third Wednesday in January, the legislature shall convene in regular session at 10:00 o'clock a.m. on the fourth Wednesday in January.

     At the written request of two-thirds of the members to which each house is entitled, the presiding officers of both houses shall convene the legislature in special session.  At the written request of two-thirds of the members of the senate, the president of the senate shall convene the senate in special session for the purpose of carrying out its responsibility established by Section 3 of Article VI.  The governor may convene both houses or the senate alone in special session.

     Regular sessions shall be limited to a period of sixty days, and special sessions shall be limited to a period of thirty days.  Any session may be extended a total of not more than fifteen days.  Such extension shall be granted by the presiding officers of both houses at the written request of two-thirds of the members to which each house is entitled or may be granted by the governor.

     Each regular session shall be recessed for not less than five days at some period between the twentieth and fortieth days of the regular session.  The legislature shall determine the dates of the mandatory recess by concurrent resolution.  Any session may be recessed by concurrent resolution adopted by a majority of the members to which each house is entitled.  Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, the days in mandatory recess and any days in recess pursuant to a concurrent resolution shall be excluded in computing the number of days of any session.

     All sessions shall be held in the capital of the State.  In case the capital shall be unsafe, the governor may direct that any session be held at some other place."

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

    "Shall the Constitution of the State of Hawaii be amended to change the day on which the legislature annually convenes from the third Wednesday in January to the fourth Wednesday in January, when the inauguration of the United States president falls on any day of the week that includes the third Wednesday in January?"

     SECTION 4.  Constitutional material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New constitutional 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.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Legislature; Opening Day

 

Description:

Proposes a constitutional amendment so that the legislature will not convene during the week that the President of the United States is inaugurated.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.