Senate Joint Resolution 7 - Introduced
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
BY ZAUN
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
1 A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of
2 the State of Iowa to change the length of term of office and
3 limit the term of service of members of the general assembly.
4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 2410XS 83
6 sc/rj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
1 2 the State of Iowa is proposed:
1 3 1. Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution of the
1 4 State of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu
1 5 thereof:
1 6 REPRESENTATIVES == CLASSIFICATION. SEC. 3. The members of
1 7 the House of Representatives shall be chosen by the qualified
1 8 electors of their respective districts, and their term of
1 9 office shall commence on the first day of January following
1 10 their election which is not a Sunday or legal holiday, and
1 11 continue four years, and until their successors are elected
1 12 and qualified. Representatives shall be classified by statute
1 13 so that as nearly as possible one=half of the members of the
1 14 House of Representatives shall be elected every two years. A
1 15 person shall not be elected for a term as Representative if
1 16 the term would result in more than a total of twelve years of
1 17 service as a Representative. If a person is elected to serve
1 18 a portion of a term to which some other person was elected but
1 19 that person died in office or resigned from office or was
1 20 otherwise removed from office, those years served shall not be
1 21 included in the years of service for purposes of this
1 22 limitation. This limitation on the years of service shall
1 23 only apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1,
1 24 2015.
1 25 The General Assembly shall make such changes in the law
1 26 governing the time of election and terms of office of
1 27 Representatives as shall be necessary to make the time of
1 28 their election and terms of office conform to this amendment.
1 29 2. Section 5 of Article III of the Constitution of the
1 30 State of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu
1 31 thereof:
1 32 SENATORS == QUALIFICATIONS. SEC. 5. Senators shall be
1 33 chosen for a term of six years, at the same time and place as
1 34 Representatives; they shall be twenty=five years of age, and
1 35 possess the qualifications of Representatives as to residence
2 1 and citizenship. A person shall not be elected for a term as
2 2 Senator if the term would result in more than a total of
2 3 twelve years of service as a Senator. If a person is elected
2 4 to serve a portion of a term to which some other person was
2 5 elected but that person died in office or resigned from office
2 6 or was otherwise removed from office, those years served shall
2 7 not be included in the years of service for purposes of this
2 8 limitation. This limitation on the years of service shall
2 9 only apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1,
2 10 2015.
2 11 The General Assembly shall make such changes in the law
2 12 governing the time of election and terms of office of Senators
2 13 as shall be necessary to make the time of their election and
2 14 terms of office conform to this amendment.
2 15 3. Section 6 of Article III of the Constitution of the
2 16 State of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 3 of the
2 17 Amendments of 1968, is repealed and the following adopted in
2 18 lieu thereof:
2 19 SENATORS == NUMBER AND CLASSIFICATION. SEC. 6. The number
2 20 of Senators shall total not more than one=half the membership
2 21 of the House of Representatives. Senators shall be classified
2 22 by statute so that as nearly as possible one=third of the
2 23 members of the Senate shall be elected every two years.
2 24 4. Section 35 of Article III of the Constitution of the
2 25 State of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 4 of Amendments
2 26 of 1868, amendment number 2 of the Amendments of 1904, and
2 27 amendment number 3 of the Amendments of 1968, is repealed and
2 28 the following adopted in lieu thereof:
2 29 SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES == NUMBER AND DISTRICTS. SEC.
2 30 35. The General Assembly shall in each year immediately
2 31 following the United States decennial census determine the
2 32 number of Senators and Representatives to be elected to the
2 33 General Assembly and establish senatorial and representative
2 34 districts. The General Assembly shall complete the
2 35 apportionment prior to September 1 of the year so required.
3 1 If the apportionment fails to become law prior to September 15
3 2 of such year, the Supreme Court shall cause the State to be
3 3 apportioned into senatorial and representative districts to
3 4 comply with the requirements of the Constitution prior to
3 5 December 31 of such year. The reapportioning authority shall,
3 6 where necessary in establishing senatorial and representative
3 7 districts, shorten the term of any Senator or Representative
3 8 prior to completion of the term. Any Senator or
3 9 Representative whose term is so terminated shall not be
3 10 compensated for the uncompleted part of the term.
3 11 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing amendment
3 12 to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred to the
3 13 General Assembly to be chosen at the next general election for
3 14 members of the General Assembly and the Secretary of State is
3 15 directed to cause the same to be published for three
3 16 consecutive months previous to the date of that election as
3 17 provided by law.
3 18 EXPLANATION
3 19 This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment
3 20 relating to length of term and term of service for members of
3 21 the general assembly. The amendment provides that the length
3 22 of term of office for members of the house of representatives
3 23 shall be four years and for members of the senate the length
3 24 of term of office shall be six years. The amendment provides
3 25 that one=third of the members of the senate and one=half of
3 26 the members of the house of representatives are to be elected
3 27 every two years. The amendment also provides that members of
3 28 the Iowa house of representatives shall not serve more than 12
3 29 years as a representative and that members of the Iowa senate
3 30 shall not serve more than 12 years as a senator. If a person
3 31 serves a portion of a term to which some other person was
3 32 elected, the partial term shall not be included in the years
3 33 of service. The limitation on the years of service shall only
3 34 apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1,
3 35 2015.
4 1 The resolution, if adopted, would be referred to the next
4 2 general assembly before being submitted to the electorate for
4 3 ratification.
4 4 LSB 2410XS 83
4 5 sc/rj/5