THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

291

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

proposing an amendment to article III, section 10, of the hawaii constitution, to change the legislative regular session from meeting once each year to once every other 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 require the legislature to convene in regular session only in the years ending in an odd number, rather than annually.

     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[.] of each calendar year that ends in an odd number.

     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 state legislature meet in regular session every other year, rather than the current schedule in which it meets every year?"

     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:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Legislature's Regular Session; Every odd year

 

Description:

Proposes Constitutional amendment to provide that regular sessions of the state legislature shall occur in every odd numbered year rather than annually.

 

 

 

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