H-3219.1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4211
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State of Washington | 65th Legislature | 2018 Regular Session |
By Representatives Kilduff, MacEwen, Van Werven, Hargrove, Pellicciotti, and Young
Prefiled 12/08/17. Read first time 01/08/18. Referred to Committee on State Govt, Elections & IT.
BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:
THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article II, section 12 of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:
Article II, section 12. (1)(a) Regular Sessions. A regular session of the legislature shall be convened each year. Regular sessions shall convene on such day and at such time as the legislature shall determine by statute. During each odd-numbered year, the regular session shall not be more than one hundred five consecutive days. During each even-numbered year, the regular session shall not be more than sixty consecutive days.
(b) After the ninetieth day of the regular legislative session in each odd-numbered year and until enactment of a comprehensive operating budget bill or bills for the next fiscal biennium, the only bills that either house of the legislature may consider are that budget bill or bills and bills necessary to implement that budget bill or bills. For purposes of this section, a bill is necessary to implement the budget if it results in revenue that is assumed in appropriation levels in the budget bill or bills; permits a savings or reduction that is assumed in appropriation levels in the budget bill or bills; avoids a cost, liability, or revenue loss that the state would otherwise incur; or results in a change to budget structure, including but not limited to bills that create, abolish, or consolidate state agencies. The restriction in this subsection (1)(b) applies during any special legislative session in an odd-numbered year if a comprehensive operating budget bill or bills have not been enacted for the following fiscal biennium.
(2) Special Legislative Sessions. Special legislative sessions may be convened for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days by proclamation of the governor pursuant to Article III, section 7 of this Constitution. Special legislative sessions may also be convened for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days by resolution of the legislature upon the affirmative vote in each house of two-thirds of the members elected or appointed thereto, which vote may be taken and resolution executed either while the legislature is in session or during any interim between sessions in accordance with such procedures as the legislature may provide by law or resolution. The resolution convening the legislature shall specify a purpose or purposes for the convening of a special session, and any special session convened by the resolution shall consider only measures germane to the purpose or purposes expressed in the resolution, unless by resolution adopted during the session upon the affirmative vote in each house of two-thirds of the members elected or appointed thereto, an additional purpose or purposes are expressed. The specification of purpose by the governor pursuant to Article III, section 7 of this Constitution shall be considered by the legislature but shall not be mandatory.
(3) Committees of the Legislature. Standing and special committees of the legislature shall meet and conduct official business pursuant to such rules as the legislature may adopt.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.
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