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2023 SESSION

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23100045D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 458 Offered January 11, 2023 Prefiled November 4, 2022 Proposing an amendment to Section 4 of Article IV of the Constitution of Virginia and proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia by adding in Article VII a section numbered 5-A, relating to qualifications for members of the General Assembly and local elected officials; term limits. ---------- Patron-- Anderson ---------- Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections ----------

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, a majority of the members elected to each house agreeing, That the following amendments to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the same hereby are, proposed and referred to the General Assembly at its first regular session held after the next general election of members of the House of Delegates for its concurrence in conformity with the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution of Virginia, namely:

Amend Section 4 of Article IV of the Constitution of Virginia and amend the Constitution of Virginia by adding in Article VII a section numbered 5-A as follows:

ARTICLE IV LEGISLATURE

Section 4. Qualifications of senators and delegates.

Any person may be elected to the Senate who, at the time of the election, is twenty-one years of age, is a resident of the senatorial district which he is seeking to represent, and is qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly. Any person may be elected to the House of Delegates who, at the time of the election, is twenty-one years of age, is a resident of the house district which he is seeking to represent, and is qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly. A senator or delegate who moves his residence from the district for which he is elected shall thereby vacate his office.

No person shall be eligible to be elected to more than three consecutive terms in the Senate. No person shall be eligible to be elected to more than six consecutive terms in the House of Delegates. Service for a partial term shall not preclude serving the allowed number of full terms. These limits shall apply to terms of service in the General Assembly beginning on and after the commencement of the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

No person holding a salaried office under the government of the Commonwealth, and no judge of any court, attorney for the Commonwealth, sheriff, treasurer, assessor of taxes, commissioner of the revenue, collector of taxes, or clerk of any court shall be a member of either house of the General Assembly during his continuance in office; and his qualification as a member shall vacate any such office held by him. No person holding any office or post of profit or emolument under the United States government, or who is in the employment of such government, shall be eligible to either house.

ARTICLE VII LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Section 5-A. Qualifications of local officer holders.

No person shall be eligible to be elected to serve more than three consecutive terms for any single county, city, town, or constitutional office except that no person shall be eligible to be elected to more than two consecutive terms for clerk of the court. Service for a partial term shall not preclude serving the allowed number of full terms. These limits shall apply to terms of service in county, city, town, and constitutional offices beginning on and after January 1, 2026.