S-0476.1/91       _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 5226

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators Thorsness, Saling, Amondson and Metcalf.

Read first time January 24, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Governmental Operations.Limiting terms of state offices to twelve years.

     AN ACT Relating to terms of office; and amending RCW 43.01.010 and 44.04.021.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 43.01.010 and 1965 c 8 s 43.01.010 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, commissioner of public lands, and insurance commissioner, shall hold office for the term of four years, and until their successors are elected and qualified; and the term shall commence on the Wednesday after the second Monday of January following their election.

(2) No person may hold any office listed in subsection (1) of this section, the office of state senator or state representative, or any combination of such offices for more than twelve years, whether such office or offices are held consecutively or nonconsecutively.  A person may not file for or be appointed to any office listed in subsection (1) of this section if serving the term or remainder of the term would violate the twelve-year limitation of this subsection.  Service in any of the offices listed in subsection (1) of this section before Wednesday after the second Monday in January 1993 shall not be used when applying the twelve-year limitation of this subsection.

     Sec. 2.  RCW 44.04.021 and 1987 c 13 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The regular term of office of each senator and representative shall commence on the second Monday in January following the date of election.

(2) No person may hold the office of senator or representative, any office listed in RCW 43.01.010(1), or any combination of such offices for more than twelve years, whether such office or offices are held consecutively or nonconsecutively.  A person may not file for or be appointed to the office of senator or representative if serving the term or remainder of the term would violate the twelve-year limitation of this subsection.  Service in the office of senator or representative before the second Monday in January 1993 shall not be used when applying the twelve-year limitation of this subsection.