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Bill would extend suspension cutoff for elected officials from three to four months
Summary
House Bill 856 would change the statutory deadline that affects when an elected official ceases to perform duties during certain suspensions, extending the cutoff from three months to four months; sponsor said change preserves voter choice when temporary suspensions occur.
Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick introduced House Bill 856 and told the House State Administration Committee the bill would extend the period after which an elected official ceases performing duties from three months to four months.
Fitzpatrick said the intent is to avoid circumstances where short-term disciplinary or court processes could disenfranchise voters by automatically removing officials from office. He noted his impetus was a newspaper account involving the attorney general and disciplinary proceedings and said four months is a more appropriate allowance for temporary absences.
Committee members asked a few technical questions and noted a minor drafting typo on page 2 that staff agreed to correct. No proponents or opponents offered testimony in person or online during the hearing excerpt recorded in the transcript. Representative Fitzpatrick said he began work on the bill about a month earlier and sought available drafting resources.
