BILL NUMBER:  S1558

 TITLE OF BILL :  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 3 of the constitution,
in relation to increasing the terms of office of members of the
legislature to four years

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To create a legislative term of 4 years, provided that in all
legislative terms that commence immediately following a decennial
census year, the term shall be two years.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends section 2 of article 3 of the constitution to
increase the current legislative term from 2 years to four years
commencing in 2019.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The purpose of this bill is to lessen the difficulties placed on the
legislative process by the electoral pressures exerted by the existing
two-year legislative terms. The current two-year terms were introduced
at a time when people interested in serving in the legislature were
not required to marshal anywhere near the amount of resources required
              

today to run for a legislative office. They were also instituted when
the role of government in society was not nearly as extensive as it is
today.

By instituting four-year terms, this bill would create the space
wherein the inherent tension created by needing to balance legislative
imperatives with electoral imperatives would lessen significantly. It
would thereby allow the legislature to deal with each issue before it
in a more deliberate and measured manner. In addition, such a change
will save the tax payers significant sums as a result of not having to
fund an election every two years for the state legislature.

It should be noted that provisions have been made in the legislation
to deal with the issue of decennial redistricting which follows the
decennial census. The legislation specifically provides for a
four-year legislative term, except that in all legislative terms that
commence immediately following a decennial census year the term will
be shortened to two years. This provision addresses those situations
where an elected official's term could be interrupted with district
changes in the midst of a term as a result of redistricting.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2011: S.3299
2012: 5.3299
2013: 5.725 (Avella)
2014: S.725(Avella)/A.8577-A (Braunstein)- Passed Senate in 2014
2015-16: S.894(Avella)/ A.8577-A (Braunstein)- - Passed Senate

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS :

None

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
These amendments shall apply only to terms of office commencing after
such amendments shall have been adopted pursuant to section 1 of
article 19 of the constitution. Such amendments will be referred to
the first regular legislative session convening after the next
succeeding general election of the members of the assembly, and, in
conformity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be
published for three months previous to the time of such election.