House Joint Resolution 10 - Introduced HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 10 BY MOORE , WOLFE , KELLEY , KLEIN , JORGENSEN , HAGER , PEARSON , PAUSTIAN , S. OLSON , HEIN , VANDER LINDEN , and KAUFMANN HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution 1 of the State of Iowa relating to term limits for members of 2 the general assembly. 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1680YH (3) 84 aw/sc
H.J.R. 10 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of 1 the State of Iowa is proposed: 2 1. Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution of the State 3 of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof: 4 Representatives. SEC. 3. The members of the house of 5 representatives shall be chosen every second year, by the 6 qualified electors of their respective districts, and their 7 term of office shall commence on the first day of January next 8 after their election, and continue two years, and until their 9 successors are elected and qualified. No person who has, or 10 but for resignation would have, served eight consecutive terms 11 shall be elected as a representative for the succeeding term. 12 If a person is elected to serve a portion of a term to which 13 some other person was elected but that person died in office 14 or resigned from office or was otherwise removed from office, 15 those years served shall not be included in the consecutive 16 years of service for purposes of this limitation. This 17 limitation on consecutive years of service shall only apply to 18 terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 2017. 19 2. Section 5 of Article III of the Constitution of the State 20 of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof: 21 Senators —— qualifications. SEC. 5. Senators shall be 22 chosen for the term of four years, at the same time and place as 23 representatives; they shall be twenty-five years of age, and 24 possess the qualifications of representatives as to residence 25 and citizenship. No person who has, or but for resignation 26 would have, served four consecutive terms shall be elected as 27 a senator for the succeeding term. If a person is elected 28 to serve a portion of a term to which some other person was 29 elected but that person died in office or resigned from office 30 or was otherwise removed from office, those years served 31 shall not be included in the consecutive years of service for 32 purposes of this limitation. This limitation on consecutive 33 years of service shall only apply to terms of office beginning 34 on or after January 1, 2017. 35 -1- LSB 1680YH (3) 84 aw/sc 1/ 2
H.J.R. 10 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing amendment 1 to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred to the 2 general assembly to be chosen at the next general election 3 for members of the general assembly, and the secretary of 4 state is directed to cause the same to be published for three 5 consecutive months previous to the date of that election as 6 provided by law. 7 EXPLANATION 8 This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the 9 Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to term of service 10 for persons elected to the offices of representative or senator 11 in the general assembly. The amendment provides that any 12 person elected as a representative shall be eligible to serve 13 eight consecutive terms in that position, but shall not be 14 eligible to serve a ninth consecutive term. The amendment 15 provides that any person elected as a senator shall be eligible 16 to serve four consecutive terms in that position, but shall not 17 be eligible to serve a fifth consecutive term. The amendment 18 therefore limits the offices of representatives and senators 19 to 16 consecutive years of service. The amendment provides 20 that a resignation from either of these positions alone would 21 not serve to break the counting of consecutive terms. The 22 limitation on consecutive years of service shall commence with 23 terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 2017. 24 The resolution, if adopted, would be referred to the next 25 general assembly for adoption before being submitted to the 26 electorate for ratification. 27 -2- LSB 1680YH (3) 84 aw/sc 2/ 2