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General Assembly House Joint Resolution
No. 34
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 6136
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)
RESOLUTION AMENDING THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO MAKE
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FULL TIME.
Resolved by this Assembly:
Section 1. That the following be proposed as an amendment to the 1
Constitution of the State, which, when approved and adopted in the 2
manner provided by the Constitution, shall, to all intents and 3
purposes, become a part thereof: 4
Article third of the amendments to the Constitution is amended to 5
read as follows: 6
There shall be a regular session of the general assembly 7
commencing on the Wednesday following the first Monday of January 8
[in the odd-numbered years and on the Wednesday following the first 9
Monday of February in the even-numbered years,] of each year and at 10
such other times as the general assembly shall judge necessary; but the 11
person administering the office of governor may, on special 12
emergencies, convene the general assembly at any other time. The 13
general assembly, by concurrent vote of both houses of the general 14
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assembly, may take a recess or recesses amounting to not more than 15
thirty days per recess. The general assembly shall adopt rules defining 16
"recess" and the procedures applicable to any such recess. All regular 17
and special sessions of the general assembly shall be held at Hartford, 18
but the person administering the office of governor may, in case of 19
special emergency, convene the assembly at any other place in the 20
state. The general assembly shall adjourn each regular session [in the 21
odd-numbered years] not later than the first Wednesday after the first 22
Monday in [June and in the even-numbered years not later than the 23
first Wednesday after the first Monday in May] December of each year 24
and shall adjourn each special session upon completion of its business. 25
If any bill passed by any regular or special session or any 26
appropriation item described in Section 16 of Article Fourth has been 27
disapproved by the governor prior to its adjournment, and has not 28
been reconsidered by the assembly, or is so disapproved after such 29
adjournment, the secretary of the state shall reconvene the general 30
assembly on the second Monday after the last day on which the 31
governor is authorized to transmit or has transmitted every bill to the 32
secretary with his objections pursuant to Section 15 of Article Fourth of 33
this constitution, whichever occurs first; provided if such Monday falls 34
on a legal holiday the general assembly shall be reconvened on the 35
next following day. The reconvened session shall be for the sole 36
purpose of reconsidering and, if the assembly so desires, repassing 37
such bills. The general assembly shall adjourn sine die not later than 38
three days following its reconvening. In the even year regular session 39
the general assembly shall consider no business other than budgetary, 40
revenue and financial matters, bills and resolutions raised by 41
committees of the general assembly and those matters certified in 42
writing by the speaker of the house of representatives and president 43
pro tempore of the senate to be of an emergency nature. 44
Except as provided in this section, neither the state nor any political 45
subdivision of the state shall pay or grant to any elected official of the 46
state or any political subdivision of the state, any compensation greater 47
than the amount of compensation set at the beginning of such official's 48
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term of office for the office which such official holds or increase the 49
pay or compensation of any public contractor above the amount 50
specified in the contract. The provisions of this section shall not apply 51
to members of the general assembly holding office after the length of 52
regular sessions has been increased pursuant to the adoption of an 53
amendment to this constitution following the approval of the electors 54
at the general election held in an even-numbered year voting on such 55
amendment. The general assembly elected at the general election held 56
immediately prior to the approval of such amendment may provide in 57
appropriate legislation for an increase in salary for members of the 58
general assembly commensurate with such increased length of session. 59
The provisions of this section shall not apply to elected officials in 60
towns in which the legislative body is the town meeting. The 61
compensation of an elected official of a political subdivision of the 62
state whose term of office is four years or more may be increased once 63
after such official has completed two years of his term by the 64
legislative body of such political subdivision. The term "compensation" 65
means, with respect to an elected official, such official's salary, 66
exclusive of reimbursement for necessary expenses or any other benefit 67
to which his office would entitle him. 68
RESOLVED: That the foregoing proposed amendment to the 69
Constitution be continued to the next session of the General Assembly 70
elected at the general election to be held on November 3, 2020, and 71
published with the laws passed at the present session, or be presented 72
to the electors at the general election to be held on November 3, 2020, 73
whichever the case may be, according to article sixth of the 74
amendments to the Constitution. The designation of said proposed 75
amendment to be used on the ballots at such election shall be "Shall the 76
Constitution of the State be amended to (1) change the date of 77
adjournment of regular sessions of the General Assembly from certain 78
days in June in the odd-numbered year and May in the even -79
numbered year to December of each year with recesses permitted, and 80
(2) to permit the General Assembly to increase the salary of current 81
members of the General Assembly given the increased length of 82
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session?" 83
Co-Sponsors: REP. DUBITSKY, 47th Dist.
H.J. 34