Article II — The Legislature
25 sections · 0 paragraphs in this article.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 1 Legislature
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There shall be a Legislature which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. The Legislature shall have authority to pass legislation with respect to subjects of local application, except that: (1) No such legislation may be inconsistent with, this Constitution or t…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 2 Membership
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The Senate shall consist of eighteen members, three from the Manu’a District, six from the Western District, and nine from the Eastern District. The House of Representatives shall consist of twenty members elected from the following representative districts, the number of represe…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 3 Qualifications of members
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A Senator shall; (1) be a United States National; (2) be at least 30 years of age at the time of his election; (3) have lived in American Samoa at least 5 years and have been a bona fide resident thereof for at least 1 year next preceding his election; and (4) be the registered m…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 4 Manner of Election
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Senators shall be elected in accordance with Samoan custom by the county councils of the counties they are to represent, the number of senators from a county or counties to be as indicated: Fitiuta, Faleasao and Ta’u, two senators; Olosega and Ofu, one senator; Saole, one senator…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 5 Elections
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Elections shall be held biennially in each even numbered year beginning on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November and ending not later than 4 weeks thereafter.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 6 Term of office
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Each senator shall hold office for a term of four years. Representatives including any delegates from Swains Island shall each hold office for a term of two years. The terms of all members of the Legislature including any delegate from Swains Island shall commence at noon on the …
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 7 Qualifications of electors
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Every person of the age of 18 years or upwards who is a United States national and who has lived in American Samoa for a total of at least two years and has been a bona fide resident of the election district where he offers to vote for at least one year next preceding the electio…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 8 Legislative sessions
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There shall be two regular sessions of the Legislature held each year, each session to last 45 days, the first session to begin on the second Monday in January each year and the second session to begin on the second Monday in July of each year. The Legislature may meet in special…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 9 Enactment of law; vetoes
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The enacting clause of all bills shall be: “Be it enacted by the Legislature of American Samoa,” and no law shall be enacted except by bill. Bills may originate in either House, and may be amended or rejected by the other. The Governor may submit proposed legislation to the Legis…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 10 Passage of bills
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A majority of all the members of each House, voting in the affirmative, shall be necessary to pass any bill or joint resolution.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 11 Powers of each house
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Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings and publish the same, determine its rules of procedure, punish members for disorderly behavior, and, with the consent of two-thirds of its entire membership, may expel a member, but not a second time for the same offense. Each Ho…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 12 Freedom from arrest
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Senators and representatives and any delegate from Swains Island in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, shall be privileged from arrest during a session (including a special joint session) of the Legislature, and in going to and returning from the same. No m…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 13 Vacancies
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When vacancies occur in either House, the Governor or the person exercising the functions of Governor shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies except that if any such vacancy shall occur within three months of the next regular election, no special election shall be he…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 14 Public sessions
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The business of each House, and of the Committee of the Whole, shall be transacted openly and not in secret session.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 15 Reading — Passage of bills
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No bill shall be passed until copies of the same with amendments thereto shall have been made available for the use of the members; nor shall a bill become a law unless the same shall have been read on two separate days in each House previous to the day of the final vote thereon.…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 16 Title
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Every legislative act shall embrace but one subject and matters properly connected therewith, which shall be expressed in the title; but if any subject shall be embraced in an act which shall not be expressed in the title, such an act shall be void only as to so much thereof as s…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 17 Amendments and revisions by reference
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No law shall be amended or revised by reference to its title only; but in such case the act, as revised, or section or subsection as amended, shall be reenacted and published at full length.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 18 Appointment to new offices
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No member of the Legislature shall, during the term for which he was elected and for one year thereafter, be appointed to any office which shall have been created or the salary of which shall have been increased by the Legislature during such term.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 19 Effective date of laws
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An act of the Legislature required to be approved and approved by the Governor only shall take effect no-sooner than 60 days from the end of the session at which the same shall have been passed while an act required to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior only after its v…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 20 Legislative counsel
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A legislative counsel, who shall be learned in the law, shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, to advise and assist the Legislature. The position of legislative counsel shall be a fulltime position and compensation for the counsel shall be…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 21 Quorum
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A majority of each House shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner as each House may provide.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 22 Qualifications and officers
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Each House of the Legislature shall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members and shall chuse its officers.
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 23 Adjourning legislature
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In case of disagreement between the two Houses with respect to the time of adjournment, the Governor shall have power to adjourn the Legislature to such time as he may think proper, but no such adjournment shall be beyond the time fixed for the next regular session of the Legisla…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 24 Special or exclusive privileges not to be granted; local or special laws
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The power of the Government to act for the general welfare of the people of American Samoa shall never be impaired by the making of any irrevocable grant of special or exclusive privileges or immunities. Corporations may be formed under general laws but shall not be created by sp…
Rev. Const. Am. Samoa art. II, § 25 Compensation of the legislature
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The compensation of the members of the Legislature is provided by law. — Amended 1977. H.J.R. No. 6. eff., April 8, 1977. Article III