Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5734 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- H 5734
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
16	16	AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION OF THE STATE -- LINE ITEM VETO
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Place, Nardone, Santucci, Fascia, Paplauskas,
18	18	Chippendale, and Hopkins
19	19	Date Introduced: February 26, 2025
20	20	Referred To: House State Government & Elections
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23	23	RESOLVED, That a majority of the members elected to each house of the general 1
24	24	assembly voting therefor, the following amendment to the Constitution of the state be proposed to 2
25	25	the qualified electors of the state for their approval in accordance with the provisions of Article 3
26	26	XIV of the Constitution, and that it takes place of Article IX, Section 14, which is hereby 4
27	27	amended to read as follows: 5
28	28	ARTICLE IX – OF THE EXECUTIVE POWER 6
29	29	Section 14. Veto power of governor -- Veto overrides by general assembly -- Acts 7
30	30	effective without action by governor. -- Every bill, resolution, or vote (except such as relate to 8
31	31	adjournment, the organization or conduct of either or both houses of the general assembly, and 9
32	32	resolutions proposing amendment to the Constitution) which shall have passed both houses of the 10
33	33	general assembly shall be presented to the governor. If the governor approve it the governor shall 11
34	34	sign it, and thereupon it shall become operative, but if the governor does not approve it the 12
35	35	governor shall return it, accompanied by the governor's objections in writing to the house in 13
36	36	which it originated, which shall enter the governor's objections in full upon its journal and 14
37	37	proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, three-fifths of the members present and 15
38	38	voting in that house shall vote to pass the measure, it shall be sent with the objections, to the other 16
39	39	house, by which it shall likewise by reconsidered, and if approved by three-fifths of the members 17
40	40	present and voting in that house, it shall become operative in the same manner as if the governor 18
41	41	had approved it, but in such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by ayes and nays 19
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45	45	and the names of the members voting for and against the measure shall be entered upon the 1
46	46	journal of each house, respectively. If the measure shall not be returned by the governor within 2
47	47	six days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to the governor the same shall 3
48	48	become operative unless the general assembly, by adjournment, prevents its return, in which case 4
49	49	it shall become operative unless transmitted by the governor nor to the secretary of state, with the 5
50	50	governor's disapproval in writing within ten days after such adjournment. 6
51	51	If any bill presented to the governor shall address appropriation of money, the governor 7
52	52	may: 8
53	53	(a) Approve the bill in like manner as the passage of other bills set forth in this section; 9
54	54	(b) Reduce any sum or sums of money appropriated in the bill while approving other 10
55	55	portions of the bill, in which case the portions of the bill so approved by the governor shall 11
56	56	become law, and any revised sum or sums of money as reduced by the governor shall also 12
57	57	become law unless the general assembly repasses the original sum or sums according to the rules 13
58	58	and limitations prescribed in this section for the passage of other bills over the governor’s veto, 14
59	59	provided that each sum of money so reduced by the governor shall be separately and individually 15
60	60	reconsidered by the general assembly; or 16
61	61	(c) Disapprove one or more items or parts of items of the bill (other than sum or sums of 17
62	62	money described in the immediately preceding paragraph (b) of this section), in which case any 18
63	63	portions of the bill so approved by the governor shall become law, and any item or part of an item 19
64	64	so disapproved by the governor shall not become law unless the general assembly repasses the 20
65	65	original version of the item or part of an item according to the rules and limitations prescribed in 21
66	66	this section for the passage of other bills over the governor’s veto, provided: 22
67	67	(1) That each item or part of an item so disapproved by the governor shall be separately 23
68	68	and individually reconsidered by the general assembly; 24
69	69	(2) Further, that in approving the bill in part, the governor may not create: 25
70	70	(i) A new word by rejecting individual letters in the words; or 26
71	71	(ii) A new sentence by combining parts or two (2) or more sentences; and 27
72	72	(3) Further, that to the extent an item or part of an item disapproved by the governor 28
73	73	constitutes a condition, including, but not limited to, directing or restricting the use, of an 29
74	74	appropriated fund, the sum corresponding to the specific item of appropriated fund to which the 30
75	75	disapproved condition applies shall not be reduced but remain as part of the general appropriated 31
76	76	funds. 32
77	77	RESOLVED, That this amendment shall take, in the Constitution of the state, the place of 33
78	78	Section 14 of Article IX; and be it further 34
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82	82	RESOLVED, That the said proposition of amendment shall be submitted to the electors 1
83	83	for their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election. The voting places in the 2
84	84	several cities and towns shall be kept open during the hours required by law for voting therein for 3
85	85	general officers of the state; and be it further 4
86	86	RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State shall cause the said proposition amendment to 5
87	87	be published as a part of this resolution in the newspapers of the state prior to the date of the said 6
88	88	meetings of the said electors; and the said proposition shall be inserted in the warrants or notices 7
89	89	to be issued previous to said meetings of the electors for the purpose of warning the town, ward, 8
90	90	or district meetings, and said proposition shall be read by the town, ward, or district meetings to 9
91	91	be held as aforesaid; and be it further 10
92	92	RESOLVED, That the town, ward, and district meetings to be held as aforesaid shall be 11
93	93	warned, and the list of voters shall be canvassed and made up, and the said town, ward, and 12
94	94	district meetings shall be conducted in the same manner as now provided by law for the town, 13
95	95	ward, and district meetings for the elections of general officers of the state. 14
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102	102	EXPLANATION
103	103	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
104	104	OF
105	105	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
106	106	TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
107	107	AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION OF THE STATE -- LINE ITEM VETO
108	108	***
109	109	This proposed amendment to our state Constitution grants the governor a line-item veto 1
110	110	on the budget and other appropriation bills. 2
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