SENATE BILL NO. 43

INTRODUCED BY TAYLOR M

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONTANA AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE V, SECTION 3, OF THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF YEARS IN STATE LEGISLATIVE TERMS AND TO STAGGER TERMS OF MEMBERS OF THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND A RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Article V, section 3, of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:

"Section 3. Election and terms. A member of the house of representatives shall be elected for a term of four years and a member of the senate for a term of six years each to begin on a date provided by law. One-half of the representatives shall be elected every two years."

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Submission to electorate. This amendment shall be submitted to the qualified electors of Montana at the general election to be held in November 2000 by printing on the ballot the full title of this act and the following:

[]	FOR increasing the number of years in state legislative terms and staggering terms of members of the state house of representatives.

[]	AGAINST increasing the number of years in state legislative terms and staggering terms of members of the state house of representatives.

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date -- applicability -- staggering of house terms. If approved by the electorate, this amendment is effective January 1, 2001, and applies to:

(1) senate terms that begin during January 2001 as of January 2001, so that senators elected in the general election in 2000 shall serve a 6-year term beginning in January 2001 and expiring in January 2007 and subsequent terms are 6-year terms; and

(2) terms of members of the house of representatives:

(a) who represent odd-numbered house districts as of January 2001, so that those representatives who are elected to represent an odd-numbered house district in the 2000 general election shall serve a 4-year term beginning in January 2001 and expiring in January 2005 and subsequent terms are 4-year terms;

(b) who represent even-numbered house districts as of January 2003, so that those representatives who are elected to represent an even-numbered house district in the 2000 general election shall serve a 2-year term beginning in January 2001 and expiring in January 2003 and subsequent terms are 4-year terms.

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