Senate Joint Resolution 4 - Introduced SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 4 BY ZAUN , FEENSTRA , CHELGREN , and SORENSON SENA TE JOINT RESOLUTION A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution 1 of the State of Iowa to change the length of term of office 2 and limit the term of service of members of the general 3 assembly. 4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1726XS (4) 84 aw/rj

S.J.R. 4 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 Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution of the State 3 of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof: 4 Representatives —— classification. SEC. 3. The members of 5 the house of representatives shall be chosen by the qualified 6 electors of their respective districts, and their term of 7 office shall commence on the first day of January following 8 their election which is not a Sunday or legal holiday, and 9 continue four years, and until their successors are elected and 10 qualified. Representatives shall be classified by statute so 11 that as nearly as possible one-half of the members of the house 12 of representatives shall be elected every two years. A person 13 shall not be elected for a term as representative if the term 14 would result in more than a total of twelve years of service as 15 a representative. If a person is elected to serve a portion 16 of a term to which some other person was elected but that 17 person died in office or resigned from office or was otherwise 18 removed from office, those years served shall not be included 19 in the years of service for purposes of this limitation. This 20 limitation on the years of service shall only apply to terms of 21 office beginning on or after January 1, 2017. 22 The general assembly shall make such changes in the 23 law governing the time of election and terms of office of 24 representatives as shall be necessary to make the time of their 25 election and terms of office conform to this amendment. 26 2. Section 5 of Article III of the Constitution of the State 27 of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof: 28 Senators —— qualifications. SEC. 5. Senators shall be 29 chosen for a term of six years, at the same time and place as 30 representatives; they shall be at least twenty-five years of 31 age, and possess the qualifications of representatives as to 32 residence and citizenship. A person shall not be elected for a 33 term as senator if the term would result in more than a total of 34 twelve years of service as a senator. If a person is elected 35 -1- LSB 1726XS (4) 84 aw/rj 1/ 3

S.J.R. 4 to serve a portion of a term to which some other person was 1 elected but that person died in office or resigned from office 2 or was otherwise removed from office, those years served shall 3 not be included in the years of service for purposes of this 4 limitation. This limitation on the years of service shall only 5 apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 2017. 6 The general assembly shall make such changes in the law 7 governing the time of election and terms of office of senators 8 as shall be necessary to make the time of their election and 9 terms of office conform to this amendment. 10 3. Section 6 of Article III of the Constitution of the State 11 of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 3 of the Amendments of 12 1968, is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof: 13 Senators —— number and classification. SEC. 6. The number of 14 senators shall total not more than one-half the membership of 15 the house of representatives. Senators shall be classified by 16 statute so that as nearly as possible one-third of the members 17 of the senate shall be elected every two years. 18 4. Section 35 of Article III of the Constitution of the 19 State of Iowa, as amended by amendment number 4 of Amendments 20 of 1868, amendment number 2 of the Amendments of 1904, and 21 amendment number 3 of the Amendments of 1968, is repealed and 22 the following adopted in lieu thereof: 23 Senators and representatives —— number and districts. SEC. 24 35. The general assembly shall in each year immediately 25 following the United States decennial census determine the 26 number of senators and representatives to be elected to the 27 general assembly and establish senatorial and representative 28 districts. The general assembly shall complete the 29 apportionment prior to September 1 of the year so required. 30 If the apportionment fails to become law prior to September 31 15 of such year, the supreme court shall cause the state to 32 be apportioned into senatorial and representative districts 33 to comply with the requirements of the constitution prior to 34 December 31 of such year. The reapportioning authority shall, 35 -2- LSB 1726XS (4) 84 aw/rj 2/ 3

S.J.R. 4 where necessary in establishing senatorial and representative 1 districts, shorten the term of any senator or representative 2 prior to completion of the term. Any senator or representative 3 whose term is so terminated shall not be compensated for the 4 uncompleted part of the term. 5 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing amendment 6 to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred to the 7 general assembly to be chosen at the next general election 8 for members of the general assembly, and the secretary of 9 state is directed to cause the same to be published for three 10 consecutive months previous to the date of that election as 11 provided by law. 12 EXPLANATION 13 This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment 14 relating to length of term and term of service for members of 15 the general assembly. The amendment provides that the length 16 of term of office for members of the house of representatives 17 shall be four years and for members of the senate the length 18 of term of office shall be six years. The amendment provides 19 that one-third of the members of the senate and one-half of 20 the members of the house of representatives are to be elected 21 every two years. The amendment also provides that members of 22 the Iowa house of representatives shall not serve more than 12 23 years as a representative and that members of the Iowa senate 24 shall not serve more than 12 years as a senator. If a person 25 serves a portion of a term to which some other person was 26 elected, the partial term shall not be included in the years 27 of service. The limitation on the years of service shall only 28 apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 2017. 29 The resolution, if adopted, would be referred to the next 30 general assembly before being submitted to the electorate for 31 ratification. 32 -3- LSB 1726XS (4) 84 aw/rj 3/ 3