CRC - 2017                                                  P 50
       
       
        
       By Commissioner Diaz
       
       diazj-00061-17                                          201750__
    1                         A proposal to amend                       
    2         Section 15 of Article III of the State Constitution to
    3         require a candidate for the Legislature to reside in
    4         the district from which the candidate seeks election
    5         upon qualifying except at the election next following
    6         a reapportionment.
    7          
    8  Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of
    9  Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 15 of Article III of the State Constitution is
   12  amended to read:
   13                             ARTICLE III                           
   14                             LEGISLATURE                           
   15         SECTION 15. Terms and qualifications of legislators.—
   16         (a) SENATORS. Senators shall be elected for terms of four
   17  years, those from odd-numbered districts in the years the
   18  numbers of which are multiples of four and those from even
   19  numbered districts in even-numbered years the numbers of which
   20  are not multiples of four; except, at the election next
   21  following a reapportionment, some senators shall be elected for
   22  terms of two years when necessary to maintain staggered terms.
   23         (b) REPRESENTATIVES. Members of the house of
   24  representatives shall be elected for terms of two years in each
   25  even-numbered year.
   26         (c) QUALIFICATIONS. Each candidate for the legislature
   27  shall, at the time he or she qualifies, be a resident of the
   28  district from which the candidate seeks election, except at the
   29  election next following a reapportionment. Each legislator shall
   30  be at least twenty-one years of age, an elector and resident of
   31  the district from which elected and shall have resided in the
   32  state for a period of two years prior to election.
   33         (d) ASSUMING OFFICE; VACANCIES. Members of the legislature
   34  shall take office upon election. Vacancies in legislative office
   35  shall be filled only by election as provided by law.