Senate Bill 271 Summary

• Amends North Carolina Constitution to change General Assembly members' terms from 2 years to 4 years beginning with the 2016 election.

• Staggers implementation in 2016 by having the Senate President Pro Tempore select 25 senators and the House Speaker select 60 representatives to serve additional 2-year terms, while the remaining 25 senators and 60 representatives are elected to 4-year terms.

• Establishes staggered terms so that in 2018 the first group (25 senators, 60 representatives) and in 2020 the second group are elected to full 4-year terms; all subsequent elections use 4-year terms.

• Limits General Assembly members to four consecutive terms in the same chamber, with terms beginning before January 1, 2017 not counting toward this limit.

• Submits the constitutional amendments to voters at the November 2016 general election, becoming effective upon voter approval with the 2016 election cycle.