H 7791

2026 -- H 7791
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LC003963
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  STATE  OF        RHODE  ISLAND
  IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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  JOINT RESOLUTION
   TO APPROVE, PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
 AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE -- COMBINING THE OFFICES
  OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND SECRETARY OF STATE
  Introduced By: Representatives Newberry, Chippendale, Nardone, and Place
  Date Introduced: February 12, 2026
  Referred To: House State Government & Elections
1RESOLVED, That a majority of all members elected to each house of the general
2 assembly voting therefor, the following amendment to the Constitution of the State be proposed
3 to the qualified electors of the State in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV of the
4 Constitution for their approval and that it take the place of Article IV, section 1, which is hereby
5 amended to read as follows:
6ARTICLE IV
7OF ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE
8Section 1. Election and terms of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state,
9 lieutenant governor -- secretary of state, attorney-general, general treasurer, and general assembly
10 members.
11The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, lieutenant governor -- secretary of
12 state, attorney general and general treasurer shall be elected on the Tuesday after the first Monday
13 in November, quadrennially commencing A.D. 1994, and every four (4) years thereafter, and
14 shall severally hold their offices, subject to recall as provided for herein, for four (4) years from
15 the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and until their successors are elected
16 and qualified. No person shall serve consecutively in the same general office for more than two
17 (2) full terms, excluding any partial term of less than two (2) years previously served.
18 Commencing with the election in November A.D. 2030, the offices of the lieutenant governor and
19 the secretary of state shall be combined into one office, and the duties and obligations of said
1 offices shall also be merged.
2The senators and representatives in the general assembly shall be elected on the Tuesday
3 after the first Monday in November, biennially in even numbered years, and shall severally hold
4 their offices for two (2) years from the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and
5 until their successors are elected and qualified.
6Recall is authorized in the case of a general officer who has been indicted or informed
7 against for a felony, convicted of a misdemeanor, or against whom a finding of probable cause of
8 violation of the code of ethics has been made by the ethics commission. Recall shall not, however
9 be instituted at any time during the first six (6) months or the last year of an individual’s term of
10 office.
11Such a recall may be instituted by filing with the state board of elections an application
12 for issuance of a recall petition against said general officer which is signed by duly qualified
13 electors equal to three percent (3%) of the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general
14 election for that office. If, upon verification, the application is determined to contain signatures of
15 the required number of electors, the state board of elections shall issue a recall petition for
16 circulation amongst the electors of the state. Within ninety (90) days of issuance, recall petitions
17 containing the signatures of duly qualified electors constituting fifteen percent (15%) of the total
18 number of votes cast in the last preceding general election for said office must be filed with the
19 state board of elections.
20The signatures to the application and to the recall petition need not all be on one (1) sheet
21 of paper, but each such application and petition must contain an identical statement naming the
22 person to be recalled, the general office held by said person, and the grounds for such recall set
23 forth in a statement of one hundred (100) words or less approved by the board of elections. Each
24 signatory must set forth his or her signature as it appears on the voting list, the date of signing,
25 and his or her place of residence. The person witnessing the signatures of each elector on said
26 petition must sign a statement under oath on said sheet attesting that the signatures thereon are
27 genuine and were signed in his or her presence.
28If the requisite number of signatures are not obtained within said ninety (90) days period,
29 the recall effort shall terminate. Upon verification of the requisite number of signatures, a special
30 election shall be scheduled at which the issue of removing said office holder and the grounds
31 therefor shall be placed before the electors of the state. If a majority of those voting support
32 removal of said office holder, the office shall be immediately declared vacant and shall be filled
33 in accordance with the constitution and laws of the state. The person so removed shall not be
34 eligible to fill the unexpired portion of the term of office. The general assembly shall provide by
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1 statute for implementation of the recall process.
2RESOLVED, That the said proposition of amendment shall be submitted to the electors
3 for their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election. The voting places in the
4 several cities and towns shall be kept open during the hours required by law for voting therein for
5 general officers of the state; and be it further
6RESOLVED, That the lieutenant governor -- secretary of state shall cause the said
7 proposition of amendment to be published as a part of this resolution in the newspapers of the
8 state prior to the date of the said meetings of the said electors; and said proposition shall be
9 inserted in the warrants or notices to be issued previous to said meetings of the electors for the
10 purpose of warning the town, ward, or district meetings, and said proposition shall be read by the
11 town, city, ward, or district meetings to be held as aforesaid; and be it further
12RESOLVED, That the town, city, ward, and district meetings to be held aforesaid shall
13 be warned, and the list of voters shall be canvassed and made up, and the said town, ward, and
14 district meetings shall be conducted in the same manner as now provided by law for the town,
15 city, ward, and district meetings for the election of general officers of the state.
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  EXPLANATION
  BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
  OF
  JOINT RESOLUTION
  TO APPROVE, PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE -- COMBINING THE OFFICES
  OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND SECRETARY OF STATE
  ***
1This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the State Constitution, Article IV,
2 Section 1, that would combine the offices of lieutenant governor and secretary of state,
3 commencing with the 2030 election.
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