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 2000;
provided that a person becomes eligible to serve in the same
position again, if the person has been out of that office for 4
years.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            228         
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 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                    "ELECTION OF MEMBERS; TERM
 
 9      Section 4.  Each member of the legislature shall be elected
 
10 at an election.  If more than one candidate has been nominated
 
11 for election to a seat in the legislature, the member occupying
 
12 that seat shall be elected at a general election.  If a candidate
 
13 nominated for a seat at a primary election is unopposed for that
 
14 seat at the general election, the candidate shall be deemed
 
15 elected at the primary election.  The term of office of a member
 
16 of the house of representatives shall be two years [and the];
 
17 provided that, beginning with terms commencing on the day of the
 
18 general election of 2000, no member shall serve for more than six
 
19 consecutive two-year terms; and provided further that if there is
 

 
Page 2                                         228         
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        


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

 
Page 3                                         228         
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        


 1 following the primary election at which elected.  For a member of
 
 2 the house of representatives, the terms shall end on the day of
 
 3 the general election immediately following the day the member's
 
 4 term commences.  For a member of the senate, the term shall end
 
 5 on the day of the second general election immediately following
 
 6 the day the member's term commences."
 
 7      SECTION 3.  The question to be printed on the ballot shall
 
 8 be as follows:
 
 9      "Shall state senators be limited to serving three
 
10      consecutive four-year terms and shall state representatives
 
11      be limited to serving six consecutive two-year terms,
 
12      beginning with terms commencing on the day of the general
 
13      election of 2000; provided that a person may serve in the
 
14      same position, if the person has been out of that office for
 
15      at least four years?"
 
16      SECTION 4.  Constitutional material to be repealed is
 
17 bracketed.  New constitutional material is underscored.
 
18      SECTION 5.  This amendment shall take effect upon compliance
 
19 with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
 
20 Hawaii.
 
21 
 
22                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________