Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Governor's Review Period

The House Clerk sent out information today on the subject of Bill Passage and how long the Governor is allowed to review the bill before it automatically becomes law. This is of particular interest for lawmakers as it relates to the ability to override a veto of any bill while the legislature is still in regular session.

According to Article III, Section 16 of the Hawaii State Constitution, if the Governor receives a bill ten days or more prior to adjournment, she has ten days to review a bill, sign it, veto it, or let it pass into law without her signature. The tenth day prior to adjournment is Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

After adjournment, the Governor has 45 days to consider bills. The 45th day after May 7, 2009 (the currently scheduled date for adjournment sine die) is Tuesday, July 14, 2009. The Governor's ten day notification of her intent to veto is Monday, June 29, 2009. The 45 day period excludes weekend and holidays.

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