District of Columbia Term Limits Initiative
Initiative Measure No. 49
R. David Hall, Proposer
Passed November 8, 1994

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THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND ETHICS

INITIATIVE MEASURE No. 49

SHORT TITLE

"District of Columbia Term Limits Initiative"

SUMMARY STATEMENT

This Initiative Measure, if passed, would limit the number of consecutive terms an official could serve in certain elected positions.

Terms in office would be limited as follows:

No more than two consecutive 4-year terms for the Mayor, the Chairman or Members of the Council, and Members of the Board of Education.

These term limitations would apply to terms served after this measure takes effect.

In applying these limits, service for more than one-half of a term would count as a full term.

LEGISLATIVE TEXT

To amend D.C. Code Sec. 1-1312(b()1) to establish a limitation on the number of consecutive terms a person would be eligible to hold the office of Mayor, Council Chairmen. Council member, and Board of Education member.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE ELECTORS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this measure may be cited as "District of Columbia Tern Limits Initiative:"

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy.

The purpose of this Act is to promote a citizen government by fostering increased competition through rotation in office and prevent the establishment of entrenched incumbency at all levels of government.

Sec. 3. Statement of Law

D.C. Code Sec. 1-1312(b)(1) is amended to read as follows:

"(A) No person shall hold elected office pursuant to this subchapter unless he or she has been a bona fide resident of the District of Columbia continuously since the beginning of the 90-day period ending on the date of the next election, and is a qualified elector registered under Sec. 1-1311.

(B) No pennon shall hold elected office pursuant to this subchapter if he or she in the case of the Mayor, Council Chairman, Council members, Board of Education members, and any other non judicial office existing or to be seated except those of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, Delegate from the District of Columbia, Shadow Representative, and Shadow Senator, has held that same office for two consecutive terms.

(C) For purposes of this paragraph:

(i) any term saved previous to the adoption of District of Columbia Term Limits Initiative of 1994 will not count in determining length of service; and

(ii) service of more then half of a term shall count as a full term."

Sec. 4. Severability.

If any section of this initiative or its application to any persons or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this initiative, or the application of its provisions to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected.

Sec. 5. Effective Date.

This measure shall take effect, as provided for initiative measure of the Electors of the District of Columbia in Suction 3 of Public Law 95-256, amending the Initiative, Referendum, end Recall Charter Amendments Act of 1977 (D.C. Law 246), and acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in Section 603(c) of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Government Reorganization Act.