HJR 2001 (LSB 5218YH (4) 91)

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2001

BY  GEARHART

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the sponsorship of bills by members of the general assembly.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  The following amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is proposed:
   Article III of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is amended by adding the following new section:
   Sec. 15A.  Introduction of bills —— limitation.  No bill shall be accepted for introduction to the senate or house of representatives if the senator or representative seeking to introduce the bill has previously been the lead sponsor on ten or more bills introduced during that same session of the general assembly.
   This section does not apply to simple, concurrent, or joint resolutions, appropriations bills, bills recommended by the Iowa code editor, and bills certified as emergency legislation by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the committee on rules and administration in the senate or the committee on administration and rules in the house of representatives. This section does not limit the number of bills on which a member of the general assembly may be listed as an additional sponsor.
    Sec. 2.
  REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION.
  The foregoing proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred to the general assembly to be chosen at the next general election for members of the general assembly, and shall be published as provided by law for three months previous to the date of that election.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the sponsorship of bills by members of the general assembly.
   The amendment limits the number of introduced bills on which a member of the general assembly may be a lead sponsor to 10 per session of each general assembly. The amendment does not limit the number of resolutions on which a member of the general assembly may appear as the lead sponsor and does not apply to appropriations bills, Iowa Code editor bills, and bills certified as emergency legislation by the committee on rules and administration in the senate or the committee on administration and rules in the house. A member of the general assembly may appear as an additional sponsor on any number of bills.
   The resolution, if adopted, would be published and then referred to the next general assembly (92nd) for adoption, before being submitted to the electorate for ratification.